292 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP 



garment, of cellular material, and Lord Ripon looked 

 at this through his eyeglass with an amusing ex- 

 pression of bewilderment, and said : " What is 

 this ? " " Oh ! " replied Mr. Holden, " it is my cellular 

 underclothing ; your lordship should wear some 

 like it." 



Holden was devoted to tobacco, smoking the 

 strongest and longest cigars of anyone I know, and 

 many a good story have I heard, and many a pleasant 

 chat I have had with him in the smoking-room of the 

 House of Commons, where he used to sit after his 

 frugal meal, drinking a large glass of what looked 

 like foaming London stout, but which in reality was a 

 mixture of black coffee and Apollinaris water, a drink 

 I once, and only once, essayed. I must not forget to 

 mention that Holden had not only been a classical and 

 mathematical tutor, but had also had considerable 

 practice in, and had always displayed much interest 

 in, chemistry ; indeed, he asserted that he had dis- 

 covered the lucifer match, though I must confess 

 I was not quite able to corroborate the historical 

 information which he gave me on this point. The old 

 man was very fond of talking about his discoveries in 

 all branches of science, which I will not say were 

 altogether imaginary. 



Mr. Holden was a staunch Liberal, and no one 

 ever earned the honours of a baronetcy by a more 

 loyal adherence to a political faith. A fresher man, 

 both in brain and limb, at eighty-nine I do not think 

 ever breathed. He had a most scientific method of 

 warming his house, which was sometimes almost too 

 scientific for his friends. In front of the dressing-table 

 of the bedroom which we occupied when we stayed at 

 Oakworth House there was a perforated grid, up which 

 such a current of hot air passed as almost to scorch 



