144 LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES 



development I notice amongst the French of to- 

 day." 



The Halfords left Tunis for home on February 24 in 

 bad weather, and a wretched boat, and F. M. H., always 

 a good sailor, was the only gentleman aboard who 

 could appear at meals. At Marseilles, reached on the 

 26th, Ernest and his father separated, the former to 

 make a business call at Paris, the latter to finish the 

 voyage to London on the P. and O. Morea, which sailed 

 on the 28th, arriving at Gibraltar on March 2 (Monday). 

 Halford had found an old friend, Dr. Nicholson, amongst 

 the Morea passengers, and was greatly enjoying his 

 voyage ; that day took part in a game of quoits, and 

 cabled from Gibraltar, " Excellent voyage. All well. 

 Best love." After leaving Gibraltar he felt out of 

 sorts, and the ship's doctor and Dr. Nicholson, acting 

 together, found him somewhat feverish. Symptoms of 

 a chill developed, and on Tuesday he was no better, 

 but after a temporary improvement became worse. 

 Pneumonia succeeded, and so rapidly strengthened that 

 on Wednesday morning the patient dictated a message, 

 and in the afternoon the doctors, by wireless telegram, 

 informed his family at home of his condition, and 

 asked them to meet the boat. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest 

 Halford, Dr. C. R. Box, and Mr. Bertie Brown accord- 

 ingly caught the midnight train to Plymouth, rushed 

 on board a tender that was on the point of starting, 

 and boarded the Morea at just before nine o'clock. 

 Mr. Halford was able to recognise his son and daughter, 

 conversed a little at intervals, but with difficulty, and 

 became alarmingly worse after a slight rally about one 

 o'clock. He was passing away peacefully during the 

 afternoon as the ship came up the Thames, and died 

 in his son's arms as she was entering Tilbury Docks. 



No man is perfect ; many are perfect in parts ; some 



