1890 LOVE FOE MUSIC 147 



a friend. All that the latter were, or in this estimate 

 must ever continue to be, I shall not now venture to 

 say; for, if I did, the peculiar ethics of the Paget 

 family (which you have been good enough to explain) 

 would certainly pound this letter into a pulp. But 

 there are two remarks which I may hazard. The 

 first is, that I make it a point of what may be called 

 aesthetic conscience never to write anything in verse 

 which is not perfectly sincere. The next is, that my 

 dulness is not so bad as to have prevented me from 

 observing the Sebastian attachment. 



Last Christmas I lost my greatest and my dearest 

 friend. 1 This Christmas I have found that I had a 

 better friend than I was aware of. For the season- 

 able kindness, therefore, of your truly Yule-tide 

 consolation, gratias tibi ago. 



Ever yours, most sincerely, 



G. J. KOMANES. 



For some years a delightful society existed in 

 London, known as the ' Home Quartet Union,' the 

 members of which met at different houses and listened 

 to perfect music performed by first-rate artists under 

 perfect conditions. 



There were few happier evenings in his life than 

 those spent in such a way. 



Of all composers, Beethoven represented to him 

 everything that was highest in art or poetry ; for 

 Beethoven, Mr. Romanes had much the same reve- 

 rence and admiration which he felt for Darwin, and 

 perhaps Beethoven, in other and very different ways, 

 taught him and influenced him much. 



1 The friend referred to on p. 186. 



L 2 



