Part 13 (2/2)

Unfortunately, however, the dinner involved a speech fro, and did my best to steel him for the ordeal But no efforts of mine, or of any other man, would have converted Black into an orator His response to the toast of his health, which had been drunk with genuine enthusias to Yorkshi+re, but the way in which you have treated ot into Scotland” And forthwith he sat down, leaving us to realise the subtle compliment conveyed in his brief speech

And here I am reminded of another occasion on which I heard him make an attempt at after-dinner oratory A certain Lord Mayor of London distinguished hi a dinner to the representatives of literature I had the honour of being invited to the feast, and shared Black's cab in the drive to the Mansion House On the way thither he told me that he was one of those who had to respond for fiction: ”but,” he added, ”I aht, for Blacket up when he sits down, and simply say 'I say ditto to Mr Blackmore,'”

Comforted with this idea, he was able to enjoy the Lord Mayor's turtle

But alas! when Blackmore rose to address the co uished man, his friend Mr William Black, to respond to the toast It was obvious to Black that he could not say ditto to this speech, and he had, accordingly, to make a serious attempt to reply for fiction

I confess I was very sorry for hi a story about an experience of his when visiting the United States He was entertained at dinner by soine, a literary one, and the president proposed his health in gushi+ng terentle novelists, Mr William Black, the author of that immortal work, 'Lorna Doone'” Now this is an excellent story, and if Black had only been able to tell it, he would have delighted his audience, and would have secured a very genuine triuyptian Hall are, to say the least of it, not good, and Black was so nervous that he was almost inaudible, more especially when he reached the point of his little tale

The result was that to the vast majority of those who heard him, his speech seemed to be a simple announcement of the fact that he had once been described at a dinner in New York as the greatest of living novelists Happily, Black was not dependent upon his oratorical gifts for his power of influencing the public

When Bret Harte visited hties, his arrival caused what the reporters describe as a ”sensation” in the town To begin with, Harte had not been long resident in this country, and the author of ”The Heathen Chinee” was still solishman Then he still affected the style of dress which Buffalo Bill afterwardslocks, and aure in the streets It is no exaggeration to say that everybody turned to look at him, and that more than once he had a small mob at his heels

Greatly interested, like most of his fellow-countryot e to Haworth, to see the world-fae and church Shortly before this tiainst the destruction of the church, and had, in consequence, incurred the hostility of the incumbent, a certain Mr Wade, as anxious to replace the venerable fabric in which the Brontes had worshi+pped for so many years by a handsome modern edifice Mr Shepard, the American Consul at Bradford, was the companion of Harte and myself in our visit; but somewhat to our annoyance, ere joined at a wayside station by a young man, as known to Shepard, and who seemed very anxious to accorey old village a the moors, and for the last time I saw the quaint interior of Haworth Church, and sat once more in Charlotte Bronte's seat in the old-fashi+oned pew at the foot of the clumsy three-decker pulpit

When we had seen the church, and inspected the signature of Charlotte Bronte in the register of es, Harte declared that he could not leave without visiting the parsonage I warned him that he was not likely to be admitted, as Mr Wade was known to object to the intrusion of strangers into his house Harte, however, maintained that as an American author, Mr Wade would certainly not refuse hi the parsonage Re my controversy with Mr Wade, I discreetly withdrew from the coar in the chair in which Branwell Bronte had too often sat After so et admittance?” I asked, and Harte replied in the affirratulate yourself, for it was a remarkable achievely to this remark, so Shepard took up the tale, and told ot to the door, Harte sent in his card to Mr Wade, and enquired if he could see hi on the doorstep until Mr Wade made his appearance, Harte's card in his hand The expression of his face was not encouraging He asked anted, and Harte said, 'You perhaps may know my name I am an American author' Mr Wade looked at the card, and said, 'Yes, he had heard the name What did Mr Harte want?' Then Harte introduced me, as American Consul at Bradford, and explained that ere both most anxious to be allowed to see the interior of Charlotte Bronte's old hoe, declared that it was iers to his house, and could make no exception Harte seemed very much annoyed, and I put in a word to explain who his visitor was, and what he had done in literature But the old gentleman was quite obdurate, and ere about to turn ahen young M stepped forward, and said, 'Mr Wade, my name is M and I come fro at once, 'are you related to my old friend, Mr M, of the firm of M & N?' 'I am his son,' replied M 'Cohted to see you inyour friends with you'” And this was the fashi+on in which Bret Harte saorth Parsonage

I had, I confess, a kindlier feeling towards our youthful companion on the return journey than that which I had entertained towards hiain annoyed hley Station, M disappeared fro to and fro upon the platfor everybody who Bret Harte was; so that in a short ti crowd Fortunately the train came up, and ere able to escape; but a man known to M entered the compartment, and the exuberant youth, in spite of the frowns of Shepard and myself, was unable to restrain hie whisper, announce that Bret Harte was there Harte, as boiling over with indignation, thrust his head out of theto escape the stranger's stare The latter ejaculated, ”Bret Harte! Where?” M pointed to the , and instantly the sturdy Yorkshi+re Harte by the shoulders, forced him back into his seat, whilst he thrust hierly searched the platfor celebrity ”I can't see him nowhere,” he ejaculated, as the train moved off, and he once more pushed Harte violently aside, as he strode back to his own seat When at last, by expressive pantomime, M had conveyed the truth to his friend's mind, it was difficult to decide whether Harte or the hero-worshi+pper betrayed the greater degree of embarrass experience of my own in connection with Haworth and the Brontes I was staying with htful spot on the Upper Wharfe above Bolton Abbey The inn was a se-room, the exclusive use of the coffee-room when my family partook of meals The truth was that the ”Red Lion” had but few visitors, at any rate of the coffee-roo, the landlord entleh I've told hio out, but insists upon having his breakfast there” I assured the landlord that I did not in the least object to his doing so, and accordingly the young man breakfasted at the same table as er to the district, and he volunteered the statement that he had never been in Yorkshi+re before his present visit An enthusiast upon Yorkshi+re scenery, I was anxious to knohat he had seen of the beautiful broad shi+re ”I've been nowhere,”

he replied, ”except to a little place called Haworth”

Nohat attraction could there be in such a place as Haworth for a stranger from London unless it were the attraction of the Brontes? So I reasoned; and reasoned, as it appeared, most erroneously ”Oh, no,” he said, in reply to o to Haworth because of the Brontes In fact, I knew nothing about theave me a book to read about them, and I tried to read it It ritten by soht it a poor book” I knew that er ht it better to take the bull by the horns, and reveal the truth to hiently as I could, and with a keen appreciation of the good story hich I saw that he had furnished me, I made him understand that I was the culprit who had produced that poor book He took the revelation somade it, and it was not until after more than an hour's talk on irrelevant topics that I eased him, as I hope, of his pain andat the extraordinary stroke of ill-fortune by which I was the first person to whom he innocently revealed his bad opinion of ht him to be more cautious ever afterwards in the expression of his literary verdicts, at all events when in the company of a chance acquaintance It must be confessed that in this case the doctrine of coincidences upon which I have touched in a former chapter was not so pleasant in its application as it usually is For ht

CHAPTER XVII

TO THE DEFEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT (1885)

More Antagonise De at the Carlton Club and a Coincidence--Forster and ”the le-Member Constituencies and the cues--Police Protection for Statesht--Death of Lord Houghton--Lord Derby and hoas Misunderstood--An Unconventional Dinner at Lord Houghton's--A Visit to Tangier--In Peril of the Sea--Gibraltar ”a Magnificent Imposture”--Captain W and the MP--To the North Cape--Cheering a Funeral Party--News of Mr Gladstone's Overthrow--Hoe to the counties was the chief political topic of 1884 I have told how Forster was the first to announce his resolve to support a Household Suffrage Bill for Ireland He was always an ardent reforenuine, as opposed to a shaitation for the Bill Forster took a leading part, though he was still regarded with suspicion by entlemen treated hiive hionism to Mr

Chareat Yorkshi+re demonstration in its favour on Woodhouse Moor, Leeds John Morley had promised to attend as the principal speaker, and it was understood that the whole of the Liberalwould also be invited I need hardly say that by far the entlemen was Mr Forster When the executive coenation, thatof an invitation to Mr Forster! He was our nearest neighbour, for his house was only a few uished representative, and he was an ardent supporter of the Franchise Bill Yet not even these facts could serve hiarded Mr

Cha, next to Mr Gladstone, the heaven-born leader of English Liberalism I hotly contested the proposal to exclude Forster froh I could only do so by agreeing that instead of a special invitation, such as we sent to all otherbut the ordinary printed circular sent wholesale to the known Liberals of the district Forster, who cared nothing about for his intention to be present

Thewas to be addressed from three platforms, at each of which was a principal speaker To John Morley, as a stranger, we assigned the leading position on the middle platform Herbert Gladstone took a similar post on one of the side platforms, and on the third Forster was to be the chief speaker To , we received word froements he did not think it desirable to attend It was the first evidence I had received of what I no to be one of the peculiarities in the character of this ee seemed to be the announcement that Forster was to be one of the speakers I saw at once that if Morley did not co, but would lead to a fresh outbreak of what I may call the Forster dissensions in the party This was a disaster at all hazards to be prevented, and accordingly I took whatbut so him that if he maintained his determination to stay away, the reason for his absence would undoubtedly become public property, and his ”laudable ambition” would not be aided by the revelation of the truth A strong measure, indeed; and I am prepared for the censure of my critics; but I succeeded in my purpose Morley pro a letter to me in which he disclaimed the imputation that he carried about with him any of that ”perilous explosive” called areat success; all the chief speakers ell received, but I confess I was not altogether grieved when I saw that the greatest croas that which gathered round platform number three, and that the loudest cheers of the vast iven to Forster

It will be remembered that the Tories offered a stubborn opposition to the passing of the Household Suffrage Bill, and it was only carried in the end in a winter session, specially convened for that purpose

According to popular rumour at the time, it was eventually passed as the result of compromise between Mr Gladstone and Lord Salisbury I do not believe that there is a word of truth in this story Mr Gladstone, at all events, stoutly denied that there had been any such co this denial But before the Tories could be induced to accept the Bill, aof their party had to be held at the Carlton Club, and in connection with thatI have to tell a curious story of my own

As most of my readers know, the Carlton Club and the Reform stand side by side in Pall Mall, only separated froives access to Carlton House Gardens The s of the se library of the Carlton, so that the members of the two clubs may, if they choose, see each other across the narrow roadway The Conservativeinto our own s, I saell-knownintently across the way at the corresponding apartment in the Carlton

”If you co tofor theirX's invitation, and joined him at theWe picked out the various notables of the party By-and-by an evil inspiration seized X ”Let us go upstairs to F's room,” he said ”We shall see much better from there” I am ashamed to say that I yielded to the temptation, and accompanied X to the roo the Carlton

Thehappened to be open, so that we had an uni of the Tory party We could not, of course, hear anything that was said, nor could we see the speakers, ere evidently placed with their backs to us between two of the s; butthe audience, and were a expression upon their faces as they listened to their leaders X's insatiable curiosity led hi on F's dressing-table, and, despitethrough this instru rise to his feet and point straight at ourInstantly every face in the rooaze of sonant ed him back from the”See what you have done with that abolass of yours!” I cried; and then, to my shame and mortification, I saw the blinds pulled down at everyof the Carlton library, and I felt that by our foolish curiosity we had caused this gathering of political opponents to hold their conference in the dark It is quite true that neither I nor X had any ulteriorat the Carlton Club, but all the salass was not indefensible