26 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



that direction, as our number was limited and we 

 were already " full up." So they fell back on 

 " orchids," a congenial topic to both. The Duke 

 was at that time paying his court to the opulent Mrs. 

 Hammersley, who was then residing in New York, 

 and who in the following year became his Duchess, 

 and, three years after his death in 1892, married the 

 late Lord William Beresford. 



On the nth Bergne, Henry Edwardes, and I dined 

 at Delmonico's, where I made my first acquaint- 

 ance with Maryland terrapin and canvas-back duck, 

 of both of which I had heard much, but thought them 

 rather overrated luxuries, the latter especially — not 

 a patch on a good English wild duck. After dinner 

 we went to a reception at Gilder's, the editor of the 

 Century^ and met a lot of distinguished litterateurs. 

 Gilder was quite charming, and a profound admirer 

 of my old friend Austin Dobson of the Board of 

 Trade. Altogether it was a most interesting and 

 illuminating reunion. 



On the 1 2th Bergne and I went down to the North 

 River Dock in Clarkson Street, where the Etruria 

 was berthed, to have a final handshake with old Cook, 

 who was sailing that day for home, and looking for- 

 ward to rejoining his young wife at Ealing. He too 

 had been putting up at the Brevoort House, where 



