Part 8 (2/2)
The girls who brought sandwiches and stayed behind liked radually became my friends One of them--Phoebe Whitman by name--was beautiful and had more charm than the others for me; I asked her one day if she would take me with her to the public- house where she always lunched, as I had broughtand did not suppose the public-house people would lass of beer This request of ht it a terrible idea that I should go aht a book with me which they could look at and read out loud to each other while I ay--at which they nodded gravely --and I went off with y Bedford” was in the lowest quarter of Whitechapel and crowded daily with sullen and sad-looking people It was hot, shty When ent in I observed that Phoebe was a favourite; she waved her hand gaily here and there and ordered herself a glass of bitter Theabout outside and in different corners of the room joined up to the counter on her arrival and I heard a lot of chaff going on while she tossed her pretty head and picked at potted shrimps The room was too crowded for any one to noticelass double doors swung to and fro and the shrill voices of children asking for drinks and carrying thes irl through the doors out into the street and saw her give the hted with his tip When I returned I was deafened by a babel of voices; there was a row going on: one of theto take the flower out of Phoebe's hat Provoked by this, a younghim, at which all the others pressed forward; the barman shouted ineffectually to them to stop; theyPhoebe A wo disturbed and said that Phoebe was a blasted so that I could not understand Suddenly I saw her hitting out like a prize-fighter; and theround the as nearest to ust inspired th; but I was prevented fro:
”Let be or her !”
Not knohich of the wo the crowd, broke through the ring and flung myself upon Phoebe; my one fear was that she would be too late for her work and that the proht very aardly and I was battered about between the two I turned and cursed theand, before I could separate the coiven and received heavy blows; but unexpected help came from a Cliffords packer who happened to look in We extricated ourselves as well as we could and ran back to the factory Istiff all over, returned home to Grosvenor Square
Cliffords, as an expert boxer, invited me into his room on my next visit to tell him the whole story and irls--about fifty-two--stayed with y Bedford”
The Whitechapel murders took place close to the factory about that tiirls and I visited what the journalists call ”the scene of the tragedy” It was strange watching crowds of people collected daily to see nothing but an archway
I took irls for an annual treat to the country every su back to London at onettes behind four horses, accompanied by a brass band On one occasion I was asked if the day could be spent at Caterhaht it a dreary place and strayed away bytheir noses to the rails and watching the soldiers drill I do not kno the controversy arose, but when I joined thes that some one was a ”bloody fish!+” I warned her that I should leave Cliffords for ever, if she went on provoking rows and using such violent language, and this threat upset her; for a short time she was on her best behaviour, but I confess I find the poor just as uninfluenceable and ungrateful as the rich, and I often wonder what becairls that I had to leave the back to my home in Scotland
PHOEBE: ”You don't know, lady, howto live in the country Why, when you pointed out to us on the picnic-day that kind of a tower-place, with them walls and dark trees, and said it reminded you of your home, we just looked at each other! 'Well, I never!' sez I; and we all shuddered!”
None of the girls knehat my name was or where I lived till they read about ht years later at the tie
When I was not in the East-end of London, I wandered about looking at the shop-s in the West One day I was adraph of my sister Charty in theof Macmichael's, when a footman touched his hat and asked e I turned round and saw the duchess of Manchester [Footnote: Afterwards the late Dutchess of Devonshi+re]; as I had never spoken to her in my life, I wondered what she could possibly wanthands, she said:
”Jump in, dear child! I can't bear to see you look so sad Jump in and I'll take you for a drive and you can coe and we drove round Hyde Park, after which I followed her upstairs to her boudoir in Great Stanhope Street
In the middle of tea Queen Alexandra--then Princess of Wales-- came in to see the duchess She ran in unannounced and kissed her hostess
My heart beat when I looked at her She had nity than any one I had ever seen; and I can never forget that first reat beauties London worshi+pped beauty like the Greeks Photographs of the Princess of Wales, Mrs
Langtry, Mrs Cornwallis West, Mrs Wheeler and Lady Dudley [Footnote: Georgiana, Countess of Dudley] collected crowds in front of the shop s I have seen great and conventional ladies like old Lady Cadogan and others standing on iron chairs in the Park to see Mrs Langtry walk past; and wherever Georgiana Lady Dudley drove there were crowds round her carriage when it pulled up, to see this vision of beauty, holding a large holland umbrella over the head of her lifeless husband
Groups of beauties like the Moncrieffes, Grahahams, de Moleynses, Lady Mary Mills, Lady Randolph Churchill, Mrs Arthur Sassoon, Lady Dalhousie, Lady March, Lady Londonderry and Lady de Grey were to be seen in the salons of the 'eighties There is nothing at all like this in London to-day and I doubt if there is any one noith enough beauty or teentleh society: an incident of ed to witness and which caused a profound sensation
Queen Alexandra had a more perfect face than any of those I have mentioned; it is visible even now, because the oval is still there, the frownless brows, the carriage and, above all, the grace both of esture which made her the idol of her people
London society is neither better nor worse than it was in the 'eighties; there is less talent and less intellectual aone to I cannot think!
When the Princess of Wales walked into the duchess of Manchester's boudoir that afternoon, I got up to go away, but the duchess presented me to her and they asked hted to do I sat watching her, with my teacup in my hand, thrilled with adotism and the warmth of her aiety of heart and refinement--rarely to be seen in royal people --inspired me with a love for her that day from which I have never departed
I had been presented to the Prince of Wales--before I met the Princess--by Lady Dalhousie, in the Paddock at Ascot He asked ham Stakes and have a little bet with him on the race We walked down to the rails and watched the horses gallop past One of thereat form; I verified hiham I told the Prince that he was a sure winner; but out of so many entries no one wasin I was given a gold cigarette-case and went horeat chare; he was e and fonder of pleasure He and Queen Alexandra, before they succeeded, were the leaders of London society; they practically dictated what people could and could not do; every woh House; and we vied with each other in trying to please him
Opinions differ as to the precise function of royalty, but no one doubts that it is a valuable and necessary part of our Constitution Just as the Lord Mayor represents commerce, the Prime Minister the Govern represents society Voltaire said we British had shown true genius in preventing our kings by law froood This sounds well, but we all know that laws do not preventharm