Recollections of George John Cayley 



the chimes and the bells are part of the daily life, and the 

 people are to be seen as they go crossing Dean's Yard on 

 their way to and from the cloisters, where any day you may 

 meet the cheerful stream of Westminster boys pouring out 

 to their games, the Cayleys went on living long after the 

 kind old father's death. George, meanwhile, had married 

 a very young bride. Miss Wilmot, a cousin of his own, and 

 three little children were born to them as the years went 

 by. Sir John Millais once painted a charming picture of 

 the elder boy, and received in return a beautiful silver tray 

 with dolphin handles worked for him by George Cayley 

 himself, whose silver work was very striking and beautiful. 

 Some of it is like the modern archaic work, only with more 

 grace and finish. Once (still in my youth) I remember 

 that at some dinner everyone was speaking of a marvellous 

 find, an antique silver ornament of uncertain date, over 

 which people were speculating. Mrs. Norton was sitting 

 opposite to me and she looked down slowly and smiled. 

 " There is no uncertainty," she said ; " I recognise the 

 work of our friend George Cayley," and then everybody 

 laughed, and agreed that she was right. 



Our last visit to the Cayleys' old house in Dean's Yard 

 was a sad one. My sister and I had driven to the steps 

 of the terrace on which it stands, to ask for one of 

 the boys who was very ill. The door was opened by 

 George Cayley himself, who had seen us from the window. 

 It was a dark winter's evening just before Christmas, and 

 the mists were everywhere. 



" Come in," he said with a sigh, " come in, and share 

 our dismal jollity. Artie is very ill, there is hardly any hope 

 for him, but he wanted to see the Christmas-tree lighted 

 up, and so we are having it to-night instead of waiting 

 for Christmas." 



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