COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 171 



an operation on her lip, and it was restored to its 

 natural size. 



End of May 1880. — We were in London, 113 

 Queen's Gate. Had team, " Squirrel," " Yarborough," 

 "Skrimiger" and " Nimrod ". Mr. Whyte-Melville 

 and Mr. Russell were anxious to meet each other. 

 Their combined ages was 170 — Russell, eighty-six; 

 Melville, eighty-four. I invited them to go to Ascot 

 Races. Mr. Russell came to stay with us in Queen's 

 Gate ; Mr. Melville stayed with his grand-daughter. 

 Lady Massereene, in Park Lane. 



I asked Melville how many days he would like 

 to go to the races. He said, "Every day". I 

 asked Russell. He said, " I should like to go every 

 day too, but I have to meet a parson on Thursday, 

 who is going to take my duty in August when stag- 

 hunting begins". However, on Wednesday he said, 

 " Parson can't come to-morrow, so I'll go every day 

 too ". I drove the coach and horses down to Slough 

 the day before the races and left him there. A capital 

 meeting, and the old gentlemen very cheery and 

 enjoyed it much. 



One eveninor we dined at Lord Macclesfield's. 

 After dinner he filled a glass of port and said, " Mr. 

 Russell, your good health ; may you live for twenty 

 years longer ". " Thank you, my lord, but why do 

 you limit me ? " 



The following day we dined with Mr. Villebois, 

 who was celebrating his golden wedding, and I had 

 the pleasure of telling Mrs. Villebois that I had danced 

 with her before she was married. She asked me, 



