298 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES 189» 



when I was still in heaven.' ' Yes,' answered M., 

 ' but what was heaven like ? ' ' Oh, there I played 

 with angels, and there was nothing but Christmas 

 trees.' 



Are not the debates first-rate ? It seems to me 

 I never read so many good speeches as those of 

 Balfour, Bryce, and Chamberlain. But the measure 

 itself is absurd. 



"We had a party on board the ' Eoyal Sovereign ' 

 on Tuesday last. It was a dance on deck, and was 

 very pretty. Enormous profusion of flags and flowers 

 all over the ship. I asked one of the midshipmen 

 to dine with us at the ' round table ; ' he had shown 

 us over one of the ships on a previous day, as I told 

 you, and proved an awfully nice little fellow, curi- 

 ously like P. N. W.^ Suffers always horribly from 

 sea-sickness, and gave a dismal account of his life at 

 sea. 



By the way, a propos of the B.A. I suppose you 

 have heard that Lord Salisbury is to be President 

 next year at Oxford. You had better be thinking 

 whom to invite as guests, leaving a margin in case 



should redeem his promise. I shall meet 



him between this and then somewhere and ascer- 

 tain. 



March 12. 



There has been a most extraordinary change in 

 the weather. Up to yesterday we had three of the 

 calmest days that have been since I came. The sea. 

 was without a ripple, and Char, and I were last night 



