96 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



Excellency. The omission was at once rectified, 

 and the next attempt was far more satisfactory. 

 Indeed, after about half an hour's coaching, Lord 

 Lansdowne was highly gratified at his pupil's pro- 

 gress. The same evening His Excellency honoured 

 me with a game of billiards, at which, being no mean 

 cueist in those days, I find a note in my diary that I 

 came off victorious. 



We spent a most delightful Christmas Day at 

 Government House. It happened to fall on a 

 Sunday. After church parade and lunch I walked 

 into Ottawa with the Chief and paid a call or two, 

 returning to a good old-fashioned English Christmas 

 dinner, comprising the House party only. 



Nothing particular occurred beyond more skating 

 and curling on the Monday. On Tuesday, His 

 Excellency, the Chief, Anson and I drove into 

 Ottawa on sleighs, visited the Government offices 

 and Parliamentary buildings, as well as the Geo- 

 logical Museum. Back to lunch at Rideau Hall 

 and skated in the afternoon. That night Sir Richard 

 Cartwright dined. I think he was then leader of 

 the Opposition and favoured commercial union with 

 the States. After dinner, he and the Chief had a 

 vivacious and interesting conversation, their views, 

 as may be imagined, being diametrically opposed. 



