192 Theft of Crown Jewels at Dublin [1908 



her to be the best serious woman writer of her time. She has cer- 

 tain qualities women rarely possess, precision, sense of proportion, 

 accuracy of illustration. Her psychology is original and true. 



" i8f/z Jan. — We have had a little festivity arranged for us by 

 my bailiff, Laker. Eight or nine old men and young from the parish 

 who sang Sussex songs, well supplied with beer in the business room, 

 some of the singing very good, and so all the evening till a nine 

 gallon barrel was empty. Though I have lived off and on at New- 

 buildings for close on forty years I had never before heard these 

 songs. 



" 24th Jan. — The latest scandal is about the theft of the Crown 

 Jewels in Dublin, one of the same kind that caused so much scandal 

 at Berlin. It is being hushed up, it is said, because a full revelation 

 would make the Government of Ireland impossible. 



" 26th Jan. — Ouida is dead, poor woman, in great poverty at 

 Villareggio. She had continued her correspondence with Cockerell 

 ever since we saw her at Lucca. 



" 28th Jan. — In the afternoon I sat to Neville for my portrait. 

 Coming back with him we met his Aunt T. (Mrs. Earle) at her 

 door, and went back with her to tea. She is a most amusing woman, 

 and told us a number of good things. While there, Cambon, the 

 French Ambassador, looked in. We had not met for several years. 

 ' Ah, Voila l'ami des Arabes,' was his greeting. 



" 30th Jan. — George Wyndham came to lunch with me. He is 

 hopeful about the political situation from his party point of view. 

 He considers that the Government has got into difficulties all round, 

 in the Transvaal, in India, and at home. He is now an out-and-out 

 Tariff Reformer, and expects to win on it. Campbell Bannerman is 

 seriously ill, and the Government have mismanaged things absurdly in 

 Ireland. He is glad the Irish Nationalists have settled their differences. 

 The scandal about the Crown Jewels is sure to come out, and the 

 Government's position is a quite impossible one. It is Birrell's fault, 

 he says, who is idle about his work, and was away abroad amusing 

 himself when the discovery of the loss of the jewels was made. In 

 his absence Macdonnell had decided that the best way of treating 

 the matter would be to get rid of Vicars on some other pretext, and 

 then Macdonnell also went away. Birrell, however, on his return 

 ordered an inquiry, and this gave Vicars, who had taken good legal 

 advice, his opportunity. The inquiry was to be held in secret, and not 

 on oath, and Vicars refused to give evidence before it, claiming publicity. 

 Macdonnell was very angry about this on his return, hence the rumours 

 of his resignation, and now they don't know at all what to do, for the 

 King is furious at the idea of there being a scandal here like the 

 one at Berlin, and it cannot long be kept secret as everybody at 



