Mind You Don't Tell Anyone - It Is A Profound Secret,' Then, Lowering His Voice And Looking Round The Room,

'His Excellency has consented to score at the next cricket match between the garrison and the Civil Service.' If

It were a constabulary appointment, or even a village post-office, the Attorney or the Solicitor- General would be strictly enjoined not to inform me, and I received similar injunctions respecting them. In spite of his apparent attention to details, Mr. Horsman hunted three days a week, and stated in the House of Commons that the office of Chief Secretary was a farce, meaning when excluded from the Cabinet. All I know is, that his private secretary was constantly at work an hour before breakfast by candle- light, and never got a single day's holiday throughout the winter.

Horsman had hired a shooting - Balnaboth in Scotland; here, too, I had to attend upon him in the autumn, mainly for the purpose of copying voluminous private correspondence about a sugar estate he owned at Singapore, then producing a large income, but the subsequent failure of which was his ruin. One year Sir Alexander Cockburn, the Lord Chief Justice, came to stay with him; and excellent company he was. Horsman had sometimes rather an affected way of talking; and referring to some piece of political news, asked Cockburn whether he had seen it in the 'Courier.' This he pronounced with an accent on the last syllable, like the French 'Courrier.' Cockburn, with a slight twinkle in his eye, answered in his quiet way, 'No, I didn't see it in the "Courrier," perhaps it is in the "Morning Post,"' also giving the French pronunciation to the latter word.

Sir Alexander told us an amusing story about Disraeli. He and Bernal Osborne were talking together about Mrs. Disraeli, when presently Osborne, with characteristic effrontery, exclaimed: 'My dear Dizzy, how could you marry such a woman?' The answer was; 'My dear Bernal, you never knew what gratitude was, or you would not ask the question.'

The answer was a gracious one, and doubtless sincere. But, despite his cynicism, no one could be more courteous or say prettier things than Disraeli. Here is a little story that was told me at the time by my sister-in-law, who was a woman of the bedchamber, and was present on the occasion. When her Majesty Queen Alexandra was suffering from an accident to her knee, and had to use crutches, Disraeli said to her: 'I have heard of a devil on two sticks, but never before knew an angel to use them.'

Keogh, Bourke, and I, made several pleasant little excursions to such places as Bray, the Seven Churches, Powerscourt, &c., and, with a chosen car-driver, the wit and fun of the three clever Irishmen was no small treat. The last time I saw either of my two friends was at a dinner-party which Bourke gave at the 'Windham.' We were only four, to make up a whist party; the fourth was Fred Clay, the composer.

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