A Life-long Friend : Lord Minto 



sadly frail appearance, but his manner, expression, and bearing 

 were the same, and his cordiality was just what I expected. 

 We talked of old times, and it was extraordinary the minute 

 details of the old Limber life he remembered. I went wrong, 

 or he thought I had, in the colour of Maunsell's tassel to his 

 racing cap ; he immediately put me right, and on two or three 

 other quite minor points. 



" How glad we were to get you safely back from India! 

 Did you like the life there ? " I asked him. 



" I loved it," he replied ; and with very pardonable pride 

 he added, " my family are the third generation who have lived 

 at the Residency." Then with his old sweet smile, "And my 

 wife never had a day's illness the whole time we were in 

 India." He told me then, but even quite casually, that he had 

 had a very serious operation, how serious I did not understand. 

 " My inside," he said, " was crushed, owing to the many falls I 

 had in the old days." I said, " Was it from the old falls in 

 Lincolnshire or the historic time when you broke your 

 neck ? " " No," he laughed, " I have had many falls since 

 then." 



We naturally talked of my brother Maunsell, and I told him 

 some details he wanted to know for his " Impression." Being 

 the only friend who had seen Maunsell at the end, in fact a 

 few hours before his death, I asked him what he had thought 

 when he saw him. 



" Thought," he said, " he was just like himself, cheery, and 

 I am sure had no thought of dying. I never was more 

 astonished or horrified in my life than when I heard on the 

 Monday morning he had passed away — you know I saw him 

 the Sunday afternoon before, and he seemed so bright and 

 hopeful for himself." Then I asked a personal question. 

 " Should you have recognized me ? " I said. He shaded his 



155 



