Part 20 (2/2)

”Dear Lord Salisbury, I have heard of the House of Lords all my life! But, stupid as it has been, no one will ever have the power to alter it Why do you prophesy that it will cause trouble?”

LORD SALISBURY: ”Youas I ahly; but, when I go, mistakes will be made: the House of Lords will come into conflict with the Coht it better ways! I a): ”Perhaps; but what do YOU think will be the next subject of controversy?”

MARGOT: ”If what you say is true and Protection IS impossible in this country, I think the next roill be over the Church of England; it is in a bad way”

I proceeded to denounce the constant building of churches while the parsons' pay was so cruelly so into the Church at all; and the assuot on the nerves of every one who cared to listen to such a degree that the churches were beco daily duller and eot up and said:

”Now Iin his voice made me look at him

”You aren't ill, are you?” I asked with apprehension

To which he replied:

”I aain and, when I heard of his death, I regretted I had not seen him oftener

CHAPTER VIII

THE BEAUTIFUL KATE VAUGHAN--COACHED BY COQUELIN IN MOLIERE-- ROSEBERY'S POPULARITY AND ELOQUENCE--CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN BON-VIVANT AND BOULEVARDIER--BALFOUR'S MOT; HIS CHARM AND WIT; HIS TASTES AND PREFERENCES; HIS RELIGIOUS SPECULATION

The next Prime Minister, whom I knew better than either Mr

Gladstone or Lord Salisbury, was Lord Rosebery

When I was a little girl, my mother took us to stay at Tho lessons froville These lessons put h spirits, because e His reher authority ten years later: the beautiful Kate Vaughan of the Gaiety Theatre

I ood amateur actress and with the help of Miss Annie Schletter, a friend of ht act Moliere's Precieuses ridicules together for a charity matinee Coquelin--the finest actor of Moliere that ever lived--was perfor in London at the time and promised he would not only coach me in ave me twelve lessons and I worked hard for him He was intensely particular; and I wasover high tihted at what Coquelin said to hiht a fine early copy of Moliere's plays which he ive him I enclose his letter of refusal:

MY DEAREST LITTLE MARGOT,

Je suis tres mecontent de vous Je croyais que vous me traitiez tout a fait en ami, car c'etait en ami que j'avais accepte de vous offrir quelques indications sur les Precieuseset voila que vous m'envoyez un enorme cadeauimprudence d'abord parce que j'ai tous les beaux Moliere qui existent et ensuite parce qu'il ne fallait pas envoyer ombre de quoi que ce soit a votre are cela, pour aller vous voir un instant au'jourd'hui, mais je ne suis pas certain d'y parvenir

Remerciez votre amie Madelon et dites-lui bien qu'elle non plus ne me doit absolument rien

J'airatitude que n'iot, un bon souvenir de ce petit travail qui a du vous amuser beaucoup et qui nous a reunis dans les meilleurs sentiments du monde; continuons nous cette sympathie que je trouve moi tout a fait exquise--et croyez qu'en la continuant de votre cote, vous serez mille fois plus que quitte envers votre tres devoue

COQ

Coquelin the younger was our stage-er, and acted the principal part When it was over and the curtain went down, ”Freddy Wellesley's [Footnote: The Hon F Wellesley, a fa Strauss valses in the entr'acve, while the audience aiting for Kate Vaughan to appear in a short piece called The Dancing Lesson, the e and, thinking that no one could see me, I slipped off o, in lace petticoats, to the wonderful music Suddenly I heard a rather cockney voice say fros: