268 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



say that I thank you and them for the confidence 

 you have placed in me, and that I am proud of the 

 honour of serving you. (Cheers.) We thank you 

 for the gift which, as you have said, will be the more 

 highly valued by us, because it is the handiwork of 

 those who are in a peculiar sense connected with 

 me, because it has been produced in my own con- 

 stituency. (Cheers.) And, in looking at the work 

 itself, I am glad to think that our famous industry 

 has not declined, and that our craftsmen still retain 

 their ancient skill. (Cheers.) To one and all our 

 thanks are due — for the gifts themselves, for the 

 kind thoughts which have prompted them, for the 

 hearty welcome which is behind them. And I can 

 assure you that, with the deepest feeling, we recipro- 

 cate the good and kindly wishes and the earnest 

 hopes with which you have accompanied them. 

 (Loud cheers.) 



Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain then returned to the 

 floor of the hall, the latter being conducted among 

 the visitors by Mr. C. E. Mathews, a large number 

 of whom were introduced to her. The company 

 shortly afterwards broke up. 



In December 1896, I drew Mr. Chamberlain's 

 attention to a paragraph in a San Francisco 

 paper respecting the exorbitant price he was 

 alleged to have paid for an orchid. I think his 

 reply, which is as follows, may be read with some 

 interest. 



