THE duke's kindness. 19 



coat and long waterproof boots reaching up to his 

 hips — the Duke personally superintended the 

 draining operations of his labourers, and would 

 not permit the tiles to be laid until he was satis- 

 fied that there was sufficient fall to carry off the 

 water. 



Lord George Bentinck, as was natural, took 

 great interest in all his father's proceedings at 

 Welbeck, and often remarked to me, when en- 

 gaged in grubbing up trees on the Goodwood 

 estate in order to make gallops for his race-horses, 

 that his father, if they had belonged to him, 

 would have transplanted them with his powerful 

 engines. 



In every relation of life the fourth Duke of 

 Portland was one of the kindest and most consid- 

 erate of men. When any matter was referred to 

 him, he never came to a decision without the full- 

 est and most patient inquiry. I remember hear- 

 ing that on one occasion the house -steward at 

 Welbeck suggested to his Grace the propriety of 

 making a reduction in the wages of the household 

 servants. " By all means," replied the Duke, " if 

 you deem it advisable ; but in that case it is of 

 course to be understood that T begin with you ! " 

 I need hardly add that nothing further was heard 

 of the house-steward's suggestion, or of another in 

 which he represented that it was a piece of un- 

 heard-of extravagance and luxury for the servants 

 to have fires in their bedrooms. "You may stop 



