214 The Balkan Fat in the Fire [1908 



been for the Eucharistic Congress which began to-day. I went up in 

 the train with Belloc who was to speak at the Congress. At St. Mar- 

 garet's I arrived late when all the seats were taken, but Blanche Hozier 

 found me one in the family pew, where I sat between her sister, Maud 

 White, and Hugo Wemyss, others in the pew being Lady Airlie, old 

 Maud Stanley and Lady Grove. Little Nellie bridesmaid. The bride 

 was pale, as was the bridegroom. He has gained in appearance 

 since I saw him last, and has a powerful if ugly face. Winston's 

 responses were clearly made in a pleasant voice, Clementine's in- 

 audible. 



" 15th Sept. — The King has sent a telegram to the Sultan congratu- 

 lating him on having appointed Kiamil Pasha his Grand Vizier, and 

 predicting that he will obtain ' the veneration of future ages.' This is 

 meant evidently for Indian consumption, an astute move. [Less astute, 

 however, in the sequel, as will be seen, for it bound English diplomacy 

 to the fortunes of Kiamil for the eventual ruin of our influence at 

 Constantinople.] 



"24th Sept. — The first two of my articles on 'The New Situation 

 in Egypt ' are printed in the ' Manchester Guardian,' and the third is 

 promised for to-morrow. The moment is a propitious one, for the 

 King is holding a kind of Council about Egypt at Balmoral, having 

 with him Gorst, Wingate, and Slatin, with Asquith ; Cromer being 

 conspicuously absent. This really looks a new policy of some kind, 

 and a policy favourable to Egyptian hopes. 



" 25th Sept. — The Poet Laureate has been here again, very pompous. 

 He is good enough to approve my Egyptian articles, ' every line of 

 them,' and offers to forward them to Grey with a letter to that effect. 

 I said it was very good of him, but I hoped he would not say I had 

 asked him to do so. His patronage is not likely to be much good to me 

 at the Foreign Office. 



" 27th Sept. — Meynell has arrived, and our talk has turned on 

 Francis Thompson on whom the Poet Laureate has been absurd in his 

 pronouncement. Austin's great object now, Meynell tells me, is to get 

 Wilfrid Ward to write an article about him in the ' Dublin Review.' 

 He has confided to Meynell that he has been sounded as to his willing- 

 ness to be given a title (we suppose a knighthood), but that he has 

 answered that the only title he aspires to is ' one that would give him 

 the right to address his peers in parliament.' He may whistle for 

 that. 



" There is a complication in Turkey, the Bulgarian Government hav- 

 ing seized the Orient railroad. This may lead to war, but all depends 

 on whether Bulgaria is backed by Austria or by Russia. It is curious 

 how the situation of 1876 is being reproduced, and also the situation 

 which was so near occurring in 1885. The Bellocs dined with us, to 



