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G. Russell, Mrs. Grenfell, etc. Russell says that 

 once the Queen took Lord John Russell to task 

 for saying that under certain circumstances it 

 was right to disobey the Sovereign, and asked 

 him whether he had really said so. His reply 

 was, ' As a loyal subject of the House of Hanover, 

 I was bound to say so.' " It would not be easy 

 to cite an instance of a more deft answer and 

 more skilful and yet courteous retorting of the 

 question's point. References to " Gerty Greyke," 

 the hostess at this party, are many in his diary. 

 She was a cousin to whom he was greatly attached 

 throughout his life. 



At the end of March they — himself. Lady 

 Lubbock and his daughters Ursula and Irene — 

 started for Biarritz to stay with Mr. and Mrs. 

 Hambro, where they enjoyed themselves greatly, 

 with golf and various expeditions. They re- 

 turned home on April 16. 



On May 4 he notes that he " lunched with 

 Rothschild to talk over Indian Currency." On 

 the 10th there is " Consultation at the Bank of 

 England about the Indian Currency. Proposed 

 some modifications in the suggested letters to the 

 Government, which were all accepted." 



Mr. Gladstone's great career came to a close on 

 May 19 of this year, and it was a cause of real 

 grief to Sir John Lubbock that illness prevented 

 his attendance at the funeral. Mr. Gladstone had 

 been his close friend and for years his chief, and 

 their later political severance only made Sir John 

 regret the more the inability to join in honouring 

 his memory at his obsequies. 



He was back in the House and variously busy 

 VOL. II n 



