Part 1 (1/2)

Margot Asquith, An Autobiography

by Margot Asquith

PREFACE

When I began this book I feared that its merit would depend upon how faithfully I could record my own impressions of people and events: when I had finished it I was certain of it Had it been any other kind of book the judgment of those nearestwhat it is, it had to be entirely my own; since whoever writes as he speaks must take the whole responsibility, and to ask ”Do you think I may say this?” or ”write that?” is to shi+ft a little of that responsibility on to someone else This I could not bear to do, above all in the case of my husband, who sees these recollections for the first time now My only literary asset is natural directness, and that faculty would have been paralysed if I thought anything that I have written here would implicate him I would rather have made a hundred blunders of style or discretion than seee, to have done that

Unlike many memoirists, the list of people I have to thank in this preface is short: Lord Crewe and Mr Texeira de Mattos--who alone saw my MS before its completion--for their careful criticis of all that I have written; Mr Desestions; and my typist, Miss Lea, for her silence and quickness

There are not many then of whoement this book would never have been written”--but those who really love ive me and know that what I owe them is deeper than thanks

BOOK ONE

”Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid wooed by incapacity”--Blake

CHAPTER I

THE TENNANT FAMILY--MARGOT, ONE OF TWELVE CHILDREN--HOME LIFE IN GLEN, SCOTLAND--FATHER A SELF-CENTRED BUSINESS-MAN; HIS VANITIES; HIS PRIDE IN HIS CHILDREN--NEWS OF HIS DEATH--HANDSOME LORD RIBBLESDALE VISITS GLEN--MOTHER DELICATE; HER LOVE OF ECONOMY; CONFIDENCES--TENNANT GIRLS' LOVE AFFAIRS

I was born in the country of Hogg and Scott between the Yarrow and the Tweed, in the year 1864

I aht, as the others died when I was young My eldest sister Pauline--or Posie, as we called her--was born in 1855 and married on my tenth birthday one of the best of men, Thomas Gordon Duff [Footnote: Thomas Gordon Duff, of Drummuir Castle, Keith] She died of tuberculosis, the cruel disease by which e and teoodness, patience and pluck made a deep impression on me

My second sister, Charlotte, was born in 1858 and married, when I was thirteen, the present Lord Ribblesdale, in 1877 She was the only member of the family--except my brother Edward Glenconner-- as tall My ood looks--to her wet-nurse, Janet Mercer, a ht and beauty Charty--as we called her--was in soenius, Lucy's talents, nor race and less vanity than any one that ever lived; and her social courage was a perpetual joy I heard her say to the late Lord Rothschild, one night at a dinner party:

”And do you still believe the Messiah is co, Lord Natty?”

Once when her husband went to raphed to him:

”Mind you hit below the belt!”

She was full of nature and i and unconcerned She rode as well as I did, but was not so quick to hounds nor so conscious of as going on all round her

One day when the Rifle Brigade was quartered at Winchester, Ribblesdale--as a captain--sent Charty out hunting with old Tubb, the famous dealer, from whom he had hired her mount As he could not accompany her hiot on; the old rascal-wanting to sell his horse-- raised his eyes to heaven and gasped:

”Hornas! My lord!!”

It was difficult to find a better-looking couple than Charty and Ribblesdale; I have often observed people following theraphs appeared in many of the London shop-s