XLIII 



UNCERTAIN HEALTH 277 



with a heavy cloud upon it. For a considerable 

 while his sister Mary, Mrs. Birkbeck, of whom he 

 was very fond, had been most seriously ill, and 

 he continually expresses anxiety about her. It 

 was, however, in quite another quarter that the 

 first, most unexpected blow fell. On the 25th 

 he writes : " Received the grievous news of poor 

 Henry's death under an operation. We did not 

 know he was in any serious danger, or that any 

 operation was in contemplation, which makes 

 the blow all the heavier." On the following day 

 he notes his relief at hearing that the death 

 had been painless, occurring before return of 

 consciousness after the anaesthetic. He adds : 

 " He was always a good and affectionate brother 

 to me, and I shall miss him terribly." 



Mrs. Birkbeck lingered on, with little hope of 

 restoration to health, through February, but on 

 the 27th he has again to make a painful entry : 

 " My poor sister Mary died this morning at 4. 

 Her end was quite peaceful and without suffering. 

 I shall miss her terribly. In the lonely years 

 after I left Eton she was my greatest com- 

 fort." 



Lady Avebury, at the same time, was in 

 constant anxiety about her mother, Mrs. Pitt 

 Rivers, and was very frequently with her until 

 Mrs. Pitt Rivers' death on May 19. And in the 

 meanwhile the whole nation had been thrown 

 into mourning by Ejng Edward's death on the 

 6th of the same month. 



Lord Avebury writes on the 6th : " To 

 Buckingham Palace to inquire after the King. 

 He died at 11.45. How great a loss ! " And the 



