1890 ILL-HEALTH 159 



She wants to know why you are going away, and 

 whether you will write to her when you are away, and 

 a heap of other questions of the same kind. 



We are all well now, and I am just going with 

 the two Ethels to a children's service, which they 

 both enjoy. It is very pretty to hear the little one 

 singing with the other children, which she does per- 

 fectly in tune. 



They are waiting for me now, so with best love 



from all, v 



Yours ever the same, 



GEOKGE. 

 To Mrs. Romanes. 



There is nothing to tell you to-day except that 

 I dined with the , and one thing after another 

 was more comical than the last. The boys both 

 spontaneously expressed their desire to write to you. 

 The enclosed is the result. It does not seem much 

 as to quantity, but if you knew the time and labour it 

 required you would value it highly. I am going to the 

 theatre with the Pollocks after lunch, and then to 

 read my paper. 



In 1885 came the first warnings of ill-health. Mr. 

 Eomanes had a short but very sharp illness, and after 

 that year he suffered frequently from gout, which 

 necessitated visits to various foreign ' cures.' He was a 

 perfect travelling companion, he liked to have arrange- 

 ments made for him, and was never discomposed if 

 anything went wrong, never put out by any of the 

 ordinary mischances of travel. Although he always 

 professed indifference to architecture and art, he would 

 grow quite boyishly enthusiastic over some cathedral, 



