352 War Threatened zuith Germany [ I 9 11 



she is staying with Mrs. Mackarness, to talk over the affairs of 

 ' Egypt.' I hear from Osman Ghaleb that the Khedive is making 

 overtures of reconciliation to the Nationalist Party, being angry at the 

 idea of Kitchener being re-imposed on him to succeed Gorst. When 

 one remembers their quarrel in 1893, and how Kitchener, being in 

 the Khedive's service as Commander-in-Chief of his army, left Egypt 

 for South Africa without having so much as the politeness to take 

 leave at the Palace, one wonders at his having been sent back to Cairo 

 by the Foreign Office. I have drawn up a resolution to be issued 

 by the Egyptian Committee protesting against Kitchener's appointment. 



" 12th July. — Caffin (my land agent, who is also a miller,) tells me 

 that war is an absolute impossibility for this country at the present 

 moment as we have no supply of food whatever in store, and even a 

 belief in war would be ruin. * We are all,' he says, ' living literally 

 from hand to mouth. I have large contracts to supply flour at given 

 dates, and last week was within twenty-four hours of shutting down 

 my mill because it was impossible to buy wheat anywhere. I could not 

 get a hundred sacks at Chichester for love or money, Chichester being 

 the centre of our Sussex wheat supply, where in my grandfather's 

 time a thousand sacks were always to be had. England would starve 

 in a fortnight ; war is impossible.' 



" 13th July. — Everybody believes Kitchener's appointment to Egypt 

 certain. If it is so, it can only mean that Grey has taken the bit 

 between his teeth and means some form of Protectorate there. The 

 Khedive is furious at the idea. 



" 14th July. — Chapel Street. The ' Pall Mall Gazette ' announces 

 Kitchener's appointment, not only as Consul General in Egypt, but also 

 to command the army of Occupation and all the forces on the Nile, 

 with a great flourish about some form of Protectorate. I cannot 

 get the Egyptian Committee to make any vigorous protest. 



" To Hugh Lane's house in Chelsea where Lady Gregory is stay- 

 ing, for a tea party in connection with the Abbey Theatre. It is a 

 nice house in Cheyne Walk, which is being redecorated for him by 

 John, and contains two or three good pictures with others less good. 

 Lane is Lady Gregory's nephew, a young Irishman who began with 

 nothing but his wits. She apprenticed him to Colnaghi at a hundred 

 a year, where he learnt his business of picture dealing. He began 

 his fortune, she tells me, by an accident. He happened to hear of a pic- 

 ture which was for sale in some remote country place, and travelled 

 down to look at it, but, having no money to buy, although there was 

 almost no bidding, was obliged to let it go for a very small price. 

 When the sale was over, the bidders, who were all professional dealers, 

 went to a public house, and he with them, and then it turned out 

 that they had been standing in together not to bid, and they held a 



