COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 291 



the road so that the General had to step out of 

 the gutter. He had just got his toe in the stirrup, 

 missed his grip of the mane, and down he went on 

 his back in the mud. His cocked hat and plume 

 rolled away, and his white gloves were covered with 

 mud. Luckily no one was present except Dr. 

 Palm, Isobel and myself. The doctor jumped off, 

 ran into the house and got him brushed over. Mrs. 

 Chapman was looking out of the window, and ran 

 downstairs with a clean pair of gloves. The General 

 took it all very quietly, showed me his clean gloves, 

 and said, " That is the advantage of having a wide- 

 awake wife ". 



On 2 1st August slept at Central Hotel, Glasgow. 

 Crossed to Belfast and arrived at Tankardstown to 

 dinner. A nice house with a pretty garden. Francis 

 Blackburne has 295 head of cattle ; all his land in 

 o-rass, and in his own hands. 



26th. — Got up at 5.30 and went to Dublin for 

 horse show. The Eyres had taken rooms in Dublin 

 and were there for the first day ; went away next 

 day, and let us have their rooms. The show is a 

 grand sight. Napper and Rathdonnel took me into 

 the enclosure, where I met Lord Roberts. Borrowes 

 kindly gave Isobel a place in the stand. Met Robert 

 Watson, de Robeck, etc., but it was rather mono- 

 tonous, for all the horses jumped so well. Next day, 

 as we were leaving, we met a very tall, handsome 

 woman. Isobel said she must be an actress, but she 

 was Miss Maude Gonne. 



19 * 



