236 His Children, Bron and Nan [1896 



regular meal is said to be a't half-past two in the afternoon, and there 

 is another at twilight in the evening, but they do not sit down to either 

 meal. Auberon sits in a summer house during part of his meal, while 

 the children run in and out, and he has constantly to ge't up to arrange 

 and re-arrange his clothing, which is of Shetland wool shawls and 

 jerseys, and the children are called to put up and take down wooden 

 screens on this side and that as the wind may seem to blow or not to 

 blow. Nan, with inexhaustible patience, humours and serves her fa- 

 ther, and Bron is almost equally good to him. This is the best tribute 

 that can be paid to Auberon's system of education, but it is clear there 

 must be a breaking point somewhere. I don't know which child 'to ad- 

 mire the most, the boy or the girl. 



" 13//* Aug. — Spent the morning alone writing, for Auberon has his 

 occupations. He is a wonderful man, with a certain ethereal beauty 

 of the Shelley kind, which has increased with years. His theories are, 

 I believe, essentially true, and he is true to them in practice, but without 

 his children it would be a desolate, impossible life. He took me for 

 a walk at luncheon time, discoursing as he went, his daughter following, 

 us, all ears for our talk. She is very nice and pleasant, as girls 

 of sixteen always are, still wearing short petticoats, and with 

 hair cut short, enthusiastic at 'the thought of going, perhaps this winter, 

 to Egypt. 



" 14th Aug. — On by Ringwood and up the Avon valley to Salisbury, 

 where we baited at the White Hart, an excellent inn, but vitiated by a 

 German waiter. I went over the Cathedral, which has been scraped 

 inside and garnished from end to end. In another hundred years it 

 may perhaps tone down again to beauty, but at present the black pillar 

 stems, newly polished, have the effect of so many tall stove pipes. It 

 was infinitely finer under the old whitewash, but the deans will haveV 

 their way. Then on to Wilton and George Pembroke's grave. The 

 house is shut up, as Sidney finds himself too poor to live in it, and the 

 days of their joyous youth are a vanished dream. Then on across the 

 Down through Groveley Wood, the biggest mere wood in England, 

 where I remember riding with Pembroke and his brothers and sisters 

 thirty years ago, when they were children, playing a game of Puss in 

 the Corner, with wild galloping down the rides. There at nightfall I 

 camped. 



" 15th Aug. — Another short morning's drive brought us to Stockton 

 where I spent the Sunday with my cousins Pamela and Eddy Tennant. 



" George has been appointed to the South African Committee, and is 

 to sail for the Cape to-day." 



From Stockton I went on through Warminster and Longleat Park 

 to Mells. " Longleat is very fine approached from this side, but the 

 house disappointed me. It is very perfect, too perfect, and, large as it 



