xxxu LIGHTENING HIS BURDENS 115 



Dining at Grillion's one day about this time, 

 where were " Fortescue, Norton, Herbert and 

 Sanderson, Herbert mentioned that, some one 

 wishing to see the library at Blenheim, no one 

 knew where the key was and the door had to be 

 broken open. On the other hand at Althorp, 

 soon after Spencer's marriage, the Librarian came 

 one day with a long face to say that some valuable 

 books were missing out of the library. A strict 

 search was made, the servants all interrogated, 

 and the Police were just going to be sent for, 

 when it happened to be mentioned to Lady 

 Spencer, and it appeared that she had taken the 

 books to her bedroom to read ! " 



On August 4 they went down to Brathay Hall, 

 which they had taken for two months. 



Thence they made a variety of interesting 

 expeditions, and he was busily engaged in gather- 

 ing notes for The Scenery of England. There is a 

 sad entry on August 22 : " To tea at Brantwood. 

 Was glad to see Ruskin once more. He looked 

 happy, but very feeble, and scarcely spoke." It 

 was their last meeting. His note of the next 

 day is, " With Marr, Ursula and Harold up Lang- 

 dale to Argle Tarn. Saw the volcanic lavas and 

 ashes very well. Some of the fine dust is so 

 siliceous as almost to resemble flint, like which it 

 weathers from slaty blue to white." There are 

 many such entries, showing the geological nature 

 of his studies during their expeditions. Of course 

 botany, also, was not forgotten. 



They were back in St. James's Square on 

 October 6, " after a very pleasant holiday." 



All this while extensions to the old home at 



