154 GEOKGE JOHN EOMANES 1881- 



extraordinarily like Bango, but with a prettier face. 

 She is a splendid worker. 



Even at Geanies he always ' worked ' for some 

 part of the day, and sport, tennis, boating, filled up 

 the rest of his time. 



Very often there was a house party, and the 

 evenings were particularly bright — merry talk, games, 

 very amateurish theatricals, learned discussions. 

 Nothing came amiss to the master of the house. He 

 was always a little apt to be absent-minded and 

 dreamy, and his pet name, bestowed on him by the 

 dearest and merriest of all the merry ' Geanies brother- 

 hood ' was ' Philosopher.' It stuck, and many people 

 only knew him by that name. 



No one ever appreciated a good story more than 

 he, and, as a friend has said, ' his laugh was so merry 

 and so often heard.' 



His own jokes were invariably free from any un- 

 kindness, and he did not in the least appreciate 

 repartee or epigram, the point of which lay chiefly, if 

 not wholly, in unkindness. Many friends enlivened 

 his summer home, and all those who paid a second 

 visit were known as the ' Geanies brotherhood.' 



Journal, Geanies, July 26. — Yesterday came the 

 terrible news of Mr. Frank Balfour's sudden death. 1 

 His loss is irreparable. It is only a month since we 

 met him at Cambridge, looking so well, quite recovered 

 from his recent illness ; we were looking forward to 

 his promised visit. 



Sept. — Mr. Lockyer, the Bruntons, and the Burdon 



1 Mr. F. Balfour was killed on the Aiguille Blanche de Peuteret, July 

 1882. 



