Meetings with King 



smile of his, which implied a gust for 

 the quality the phrase had taken from 

 its common politicianal use. 



It was this smile which keeps his 

 image before me as I write, which I 

 find delicately intimated in Mr. How- 

 land's portrait of him — an admirable 

 likeness, I think — and which implied 

 his gentleness and sweetness together 

 with a kindly irony not unseldom 

 going with such traits. The smile 

 broadened as we left the public in- 

 terest and looked at each other, to 

 find that we had no more fallen away 

 physically than politically. I asked 

 if there were anything to be done 

 about that constancy of weight, and 

 he said " No. The fact is we like to 

 overeat," in all philosophical if not 

 scientific answer to the anti-obesity 

 hopes which still lure and mock con- 

 fiding middle age. 



He had, as I remember him, a 

 pleasure in the joys of the table as 

 150 



