CHAPTER VII 



A SUMMER IN ENGLAND, 1894 



The first news that greeted me on my return to London from Egypt 

 in the Spring of 1894 was the engagement of my friend Margot Ten- 

 nant to Mr. Asquith, a political event, as it turned out, of the first 

 magnitude, though perhaps not fully appreciated as such at the moment. 

 I find it recorded thus : 



" ist May. — To Grosvenor Square, where I found Sir Charles Ten- 

 nant very important over his daughter's approaching marriage. ' It has 

 gone on now,' he said, ' for a year and a half, at first all on Asquith's 

 side, but now Margot is sincerely attached to him. She has smartened 

 him up wonderfully, you would hardly know him.' Upon which in 

 walks Asquith, a little smooth-shaved middle-aged man, with a beatific 

 smile on his face, as of one to whom Heaven's doors have been opened. 

 He reminded me very cordially of our former meetings on Home Rule 

 platforms, and in answer to my congratulations, said, ' Indeed you have 

 reason to congratulate me.' Sir Charles gives his daughter £2,000 a 

 year and a house in Cavendish Square. They are to spend the honey- 

 moon in Caroline Grosvenor's house, 30, Upper Grosvenor Street, which 

 they have rented for the season. 



" 4th May. — George Wyndham came to see me. We discussed 

 Rosebery, and agreed that he was overrated as a statesman, a clever 

 after-dinner speaker, but nothing more. He had been pushed for- 

 ward by the press and the Jews as a sort of Stock Exchange candidate, 

 but he could not last as leader of a party. George applauded my inten- 

 tion of formally returning to the Conservative fold [a momentary in- 

 tention never carried out, for I joined no party]. 



" yth May. — Lunched with Sir William Harcourt. In spite of ac- 

 counts of his ill-health I found him looking better than for a year or 

 two. His budget comes on for second reading to-night (he was still 

 Chancellor of the Exchequer), and Loulou told me in private that it is 

 quite possible the Government may be beaten on it. Sir William was. 

 nevertheless, in high spirits, and I think enjoyed my denunciation of 

 Rosebery as ' Minister of the Stock Exchange.' Alfred Milner came 

 in and we had some chaff, good-naturedly, about Egypt. Nubar has 

 been playing his old games there already, giving a concession to a land 



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