XVI 



TABLE-TALK 403 



family. "Going to call at Hodeslea," he said, "I 

 was in some trepidation, because I didn't know any- 

 thing about science or philosophy ; but when your 

 mother began to talk over old times with my wife, 

 your father came across the room and sat down by 

 me, and began to talk about the dog which we had 

 brought with us. From that he got on to the 

 different races of dogs and their origin and connec- 

 tions, all quite simply, and not as though to give 

 information, but just to talk about something which 

 obviously interested me. I shall never forget how 

 extraordinarily kind it was of your father to take all 

 this trouble in entertaining a complete stranger, and 

 choosing a subject which put me at my ease at once, 

 while he told me all manner of new and interesting 

 things." 



A few more fragments of his conversation have 

 been preserved — the following by Mr. Wilfrid Ward. 

 Speaking of Tennyson's conversation, he said : — 



Doric beauty is its characteristic — perfect simplicity, 

 without any ornament or anything artificial. 



Telling how he had been to a meeting of the 

 British Museum Tixistees, he said : — 



After the meeting, Archbishop Benson helped me on 

 with my great-coat. I was quite overcome by this species 

 of spiritual investitiu^e. " Thank you. Archbishop," I 

 said, " I feel as if I were receiving the pallium." 



Speaking of two men of letters, with neither of 

 whom he sympathised, he once said : — 



