xxv RIVERSIDE LETTERS 193 



thing for his health and comfort that his kind 

 heart could possibly think of: Landseer 

 loved him deeply, clinging to him as a 

 nervous child does to its mother. 



Landseer had an old servant, his butler, 

 valet and faithful slave, named William, who 

 knew and understood his master's ways and 

 habits perfectly. Though Sir Edwin would 

 bully this man at times, when he was put out, 

 he thoroughly appreciated his usefulness and 

 could not have got on at all without him. 

 William was particularly assiduous in guarding 

 the outer portal ; no one could by any possi- 

 bility gain direct access to Sir Edwin ; not 

 even though an appointment had been made. 

 The answer would invariably be, " Sir Hedwin 

 is not at home." H.R.H. the Prince Consort 

 himself once received this answer when he 

 called, amplified on that occasion by the 

 assurance that " he had gone to a wed- 

 ding," an entire fiction on William's part, 

 as the Prince found out, for on walking 

 boldly in and round the garden he noticed 







