LEONARD JEROME 303 



functions were not immediately ordered to be arranged, and 

 Colonel Buck, who had joined us, undertook to bring all the 

 choice souls within reach. 



The above incident of my chance meeting with Lady 

 Randolph's father is a good deal more interesting than 

 anything I could write about the Appalachian mine. 

 I returned to England on the old Servia, and among the 

 passengers were Millicent Duchess of Sutherland and the 

 late Duke. They were then on their wedding tour, and 

 as it was Jubilee year, he presided at a celebration in 

 the saloon of the steamer, at which the British passengers 

 entertained the American, and as the British numbered 

 only about twenty and the Americans were coming over 

 in hundreds the entertainment was somewhat costly when 

 divided up among the twenty. 



I liked America well, but I was glad to get back to this 

 old country, for I shall always remember that the first 

 sight that greeted me in the hall of the Hoffman House, 

 when I arrived there on a Sunday morning, was a large 

 portrait of Mr Gladstone, and the next thing I saw was a 

 printed placard which intimated that the committee for 

 the reception of the Hon. William O'Brien was sitting in 

 Room I forget the number. That surely was an 

 unpleasant welcome. I find that I wrote : " One cannot 

 help feeling rejoiced at the knowledge that certain New 

 York aldermen are undergoing long terms of imprisonment 

 of course they are Irishmen." 



I may quote a little further, thus : 



Having arrived at the Hoffman House and paid 2% dollars for 

 what in London would be a is. 6d. fare, the joy of drink deferred 

 suggests that it were better to have a bath before an internal 

 application of liquid. The water of the dock had, of course, not 

 served for bathing purposes on board ship that morning. . . . 

 The time arrived when it was expedient to interview the barman. 

 It was a thrilling moment, and on finding that the bar was not 

 open, the next thing was to hurry into one of the numerous coffee- 

 rooms and ask a waiter what was "the best long drink ' he could 

 recommend. The expectation of that drink and the dream of the 

 ice it would contain will remain while life lasts so will the blank 



