1 9i 2] Padraic Colum 393 



official blame, so far from being punished was rewarded and con- 

 firmed in his post at Rome, where he is still Ambassador; and (2) 

 Kitchener, who at Cairo had helped the Italian Government in Egypt, 

 with the complicity of the Foreign Office, by preventing the passage 

 of Ottoman troops through the Nile Valley, was entertained on his 

 return home through Italy at a complimentary dinner, where he was 

 hailed as Italy's best friend and ally. The truth is that Italy was 

 allowed to invade Tripoli without our disapproval at the Foreign Office 

 as part of Grey's policy of detaching Italy from the German alliance 

 in favour of the Ententes, which were gradually becoming a coalition. 

 In this he succeeded four years later.] 



" 2jth July. — George Wyndham writes that in consequence of Win- 

 ston's Mediterranean speech, which he ' admires and respects,' he is 

 quite willing to meet him at my house (a meeting he has hitherto re- 

 fused), and proposes October 18th for a shooting visit. 



" 28th July (Sunday). — My letter headed 'Grey and Tripoli' is in 

 yesterday's ' Westminster.' 



" To Meynell's at Greatham, where I met young Padraic Colum 

 honeymooning with his bride, Molly Maguire, a red-haired Celtic girl, 

 whom he married last week. Colum is an intelligent, eager little man, 

 with much simplicity of character, mixed with practical good sense. 

 I like them both. 



" 30/A July. — I have given up my house in Chapel Street. 



" 1st Aug. — Newbuildings. Padraic Colum and his bride spent the 

 day here. They intend to live at Dublin, where he has journalistic 

 work. 



" yth Aug. — Called on Lady C, who told me curious details about 

 Kitchener's private life. She tells me that the plot against him at 

 Cairo was a very serious one. A great deal, she says, is talked of 

 his popularity in Egypt. He is really disliked, and seems to think 

 that his position there is insecure. 



" Cockerell dined with me. He is very busy just now looking after 

 a bequest made to his Fitz-william Museum by an old millionaire. Mar- 

 lay, who died the other day. This will be our last dinner in Chapel 

 Street." |T had sold my house, or what they call selling it, paying £100 

 to resign the remainder of the lease, as part of my resolve to retire 

 altogether from the world for my hermitage in Sussex. I have never 

 since been in London, even for the day.] 



" gth Aug. — Philip Napier came to luncheon, just back from Egypt. 

 He is not enthusiastic about Kitchener. Thinks him more feared 

 than loved. Also Goumah writes pessimistically from Cairo. 



" 13th Aug. ■ — Newbuildings. Old Evershed, my former tenant here, 

 is dying, and I went to see him at his cottage on Dragon's Green. He 

 is eighty-six years old, as fine a type as could be found of the old- 



