ch. iv.] REMINISCENCES. 73 



ing one down with a slap. I think, generally speaking, he 

 was given to gesture, and often used his hands in explaining 

 anything (e.g. the fertilisation of a flower) in a way that 

 seemed rather an aid to himself than to the listener. He 

 did this on occasions when most people would illustrate 

 their explanations by means of a rough pencil sketch. 



He wore dark clothes, of a loose and easy fit. Of late 

 years he gave up the tall hat even in Lond3n, and wore a 

 soft black one in winter, and a big straw hat in summer. 

 His usual out-of-doors dress was the short cloak in which 

 Elliot and Fry's photograph* represents him, leaning 

 against the pillar of the verandah. Two peculiarities of 

 his indoor dress were that he almost always wore a shawl 

 over his shoulders, and that he had great loose cloth boots 

 lined with fur which he could slip on over his indoor 

 shoes. 



He rose early, and took a short turn before breakfast, a 

 habit which began when he went for the first time to a 

 water-cure establishment, and was preserved till almost the 

 end of his life. I used, as a little boy, to like going out 

 with him, and I have a vague sense of the red of the winter 

 sunrise, and a recollection of the pleasant companionship, 

 and a certain honour and glory in it, He used to delight 

 me as a boy by telling me how, in still earlier walks, on 

 dark winter mornings, he had once or twice met foxes trot- 

 ting home at the dawning. 



After breakfasting alone about 7.45, he went to work at 

 once, considering the 1.} hour between 8 and 9.30 one of 

 his best working times. At 9.30 he came in to the draw- 

 ing-room for his letters rejoicing if the post was a light 

 one and being sometimes much worried if it was not. He 

 w r ould then hear any family letters read aloud as he lay on 

 the sofa. 



The reading aloud, which also included part of a novel, 

 lasted till about half-past ten, when he went back to work 

 till twelve or a quarter past. By this time he considered 

 his day's work over, and would often say, in a satisfied voice, 

 "Pve done a good day's work." He then went out of doors 

 whether it was wet or fine ; Polly, his white terrier, went 

 with him in fair weather, but in rain she refused or might 

 be seen hesitating in the verandah, with a mixed expression 

 of disgust and shame at her own want of courage ; gener- 



* Life and Letters, vol. iii. frontispiece. 



