276 MR. SWINDELL. 



whilst he was always ready to avow his admiration, 

 he was equally ready to declare that their intrigues 

 he could not fathom. I have mentioned, in an earlier 

 chapter, that he had the repute of being a judge of wine. 

 This was undoubtedly his due. He once enjoyed a 

 very fine old bottle of port at Salisbury when 

 staying for the races, and offered the late Mr. Henry 

 Figes, of the Three Swans Hotel, a guinea a bottle 

 for every drop he had in his cellar. The offer was 

 refused, and the special bin immediately christened 

 ' Swindell port ' ! And for a period after, whenever 

 called for, with diligent search the landlord usually 

 found one; and for years it was the very last bottle. 



Every action of his life was characterized by pru- 

 dence. One of his earliest precautions was the invest- 

 ment of a sum that would bring him in £100 a year, 

 'just to keep me and the missus,' as he phrased it. 

 ' The rest I can play with,' he said. He lived for 

 some time at 18, Berkeley Square, until, being offered 

 a good premium, he ' copped ' and disposed of his 

 bargain. He then went to Craven Hill, and after- 

 wards to Barnes, by the side of the river, until he 

 settled in his own house, Royal Crescent, Brighton, 

 where he died. He had his faults — who has not ? 

 And he had especially to fight against the lack of 

 education. He was, as I have said, never out of 

 temper ; neither chagrined by defeat nor elated at 

 success. I never heard him swear or speak evil of 

 anyone in jest or seriously. Of him it may be truly 



