50 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



the office of the Field newspaper," he says he 

 was one day called from the office to secure a 

 swarm of bees. " These alighted, by some strange 

 chance, over the door of the Gaiety Theatre. 

 An enormous crowd collected in Wellington Street. 

 The boys pelted the bees with any missiles the 

 road afforded : the thoroughfare was well-nigh 

 blocked. The ladies of the corps de ballet could 

 not get into the theatre, and Mr. Soutar, the 

 stage manager, came and implored my assistance 

 to dislodge the insects and give his performers 

 access to the theatre. I did so at considerable 

 risk, since those who held the ladder were afraid 

 of the bees." He had borrowed a cheese- box, a 

 table-cloth, and a small brush from the Gaiety 

 Restaurant, and with these secured the swarm,* 

 which he took home with him to Finchley. His 

 interest in bees never left him, and may be 

 judged of by the fact that he had his monogram 

 designed as a sort of book-plate, with the letters 

 " W.B.T." formed in the shape of a bee with 

 outstretched legs, the insect itself standing for 

 the second initial. This " bee " monogram he 

 was fond of using for stationery, etc. His last 

 literary work on the subject was the editing, in 

 1876, of The Italian System of Bee Keeping, by 

 Captain A. J. Danyell. 



* The scene was admirably portrayed by Mr. Harry Furniss in 

 the Graphic. 



