xxv RIVERSIDE LETTERS 195 



woman, whether a lady or not ; in short, his 

 manners were those of a well-bred English 

 gentleman. 



Of his brilliance in society in general I 

 have no need to tell, but it may be interesting 

 to know that he was equally polished and 

 amusing at his own table, though at it, besides 

 himself, sat only his sister, one of his brothers, 

 or some humble individual like myself. He 

 was devotedly fond of his sister Jessy, and 

 well he might be, for sure never man had a 

 sister more self-sacrificing and affectionate. 



The garden was very large and extended 

 around the house on three of its sides ; it had 

 been carefully planted with trees by Sir 

 E. so as to shut out as many indications 

 of other houses as possible. It reached from 

 the St. John's Wood Road right to the canal, 

 just where it issues from the Aberdeen Place 

 tunnel. A well-grown silver birch grew in 

 one part, which Landseer said he had brought 

 from the Highlands as a seedling. There 

 was also a fine old mulberry tree. 



o 2 



