CHAPTER XXXVIII 



TRUE FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTIES CLUB 



Cost of Victoria Hotel — Cecil Drew's Purchase — His Scheme for a Club — 

 My Co-operation invited — Putting the House in Order — Death 

 of King Edward — Lord Lonsdale's Attitude — Should Jockeys be 

 admitted — The Terrible Solitude — That Melancholy Fountain — 

 Bills to be paid — Drew's Tragic End — Lynham's Bargain 



One day in Essex Street I had a caller who asked 

 me whether I would be willing to interest myself, on 

 certain terms, in the Victoria Hotel, about which there 

 was a suggestion of turning into a club. The " certain 

 terms " were stated, for I never believe in tackling a 

 business proposition unless there is a certain amount 

 of ready money in evidence. I should like to explain 

 fully to those who became members, and to many who 

 have discussed the question of the club and the money 

 which was spent on altering the building, so that they 

 should have the exact story. 



It appears that a year or two before the matter was 

 brought to me that Cecil Drew, a well-known member 

 of the Stock Exchange, now dead, who was largely 

 interested in mining stock, had been down to New- 

 market for a coursing meeting, and having won a little 

 bit was on good terms with himself that evening when 

 the proposition was put to him whether he wouldn't 

 like to buy the Victoria Hotel. I believe the price 

 mentioned was twenty thousand pounds. The place 

 had originally cost — land and building — eighty-five 

 thousand pounds, and a certain amount more, about 

 twenty thousand pounds, was spent with Maple's, so 

 that altogether this was a very expensive white 



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