the days of my life-第98章

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Believe　me；　very　truly；　yours；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
The　Right　Hon。　H。　H。　Asquith。
As　a　matter　of　fact　it　was　from　the　Radical　party；　with　which　I　profoundly　disagree　upon　certain　points；　that　light　came　at　last。　They；　as　I　know　from　sundry　signs　and　tokens；　had　taken　the　trouble　to　study　“Rural　England。”　At　any　rate　the　Development　Board；　which　now　does　so　much　for　agriculture；　embodies　somewhat　closely；　if　with　variations；　the　scheme　of　Government　assistance　for　that　industry　which　I　outlined　in　the　last　chapter；　headed　“Conclusions。”
The　book　has　been　very　largely　quoted；　both　here　and　in　other　countries；　though　often　enough　without　acknowledgment；　notably　by　politicians　in　search　of　ideas。　For　instance；　Lord　Rosebery　—　I　need　not　say；　with　acknowledgment　—　has　alluded　to　it　more　than　once　in　his　speeches；　and　so　have　many　other　prominent　men。　I　remember　that　he　pointed　it　out　to　me　in　his　library；　and　told　me；　I　think；　that　he　had　read　it　straight　through。
I　fear　that　this　has　been　rather　a　dull　chapter；　for　its　subject　is　always　dull；　and　he　who　decants　thereon　is　apt　to　be　considered　an　agricultural　bore。　Also　it　has　involved　the　quotation　of　several　letters　and　the　reprinting　of　some　extracts　from　books；　which　are　apt　to　look　wearisome　in　type。　Yet　I　did　not　see　how　these　could　be　omitted；　since　the　words　set　down　years　ago　do　give　exactly　the　writer’s　thoughts　and　views　in　a　fashion　more　pletely　accurate　than　can　any　summary　founded　on　his　recollections。　Memory　is　a　treacherous　thing；　and　one　to　which　in　such　matters　it　is　not　well　to　trust。
Strange　and　varied　were　the　establishments　in　which　Cochrane　and　I　often　found　ourselves　as　guests　during　the　course　of　these　“Rural　England”　journeyings。　When　it　was　announced　that　I　was　going　to　visit　a　given　county　we　invariably　received　many　kind　offers　of　hospitality。　Since；　as　a　rule；　we　knew　nothing　of　our　would…be　hosts；　our　method　of　dealing　with　these　was　to　take　a　map　and　accept　at　hazard　those　invitations　which　would　bring　us　nearest　to　the　centre　of　the　various　districts　we　wished　to　investigate。　Really　it　was　a　wise　plan；　for　it　brought　us　into　touch　with　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men。
When；　at　the　given　day　and　hour；　we　drove　up　to　the　residence　of　our　unknown　host；　often　enough　it　was　without　knowing　whether　we　should　find　a　palace　or　a　farmhouse。
I　could　write　a　whole　chapter；　if　not　a　small　book；　about　the　places　where　we　stayed　and　their　inhabitants。　One　night；　for　instance；　we　found　ourselves　in　an　ancient　and　gigantic　baronial　castle。　While　I　was　undressing　Cochrane　arrived　in　my　apartment；　which　was　huge　and　gloomy；　and　asked　me　if　I　would　mind　ing　to　inspect　his　sleeping…place。　I　did；　and　by　the　light　of　a　few　struggling　candles　saw　the　most　depressing　room　on　which　ever　I　had　set　eyes。
It　was　enormous；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　back　wall　stood　a　four…post　bed　with　black　hangings　and；　I　think；　black　hearse…plumes　at　the　corners。　Round　the　walls　were　old；　full…length　family　portraits　of　a　singularly　grim　description　—　I　imagine　they　must　have　been　memorial　pictures　—　while　over　the　mantelpiece　sat　an　awful　old　seventeenth…century　woman　who　held　a　skull　in　her　hands。　This　very　skull；　by　the　way；　was　kept　in　a　cupboard　upstairs；　where　I　saw　the　thing；　which　had　something　to　do　with　the　history　of　the　family；　or　rather　of　that　which　preceded　it　in　the　ownership　of　the　castle　and　estate。　Everything　about　the　chamber　was　in　thorough　keeping　with　that　skull；　even　the　coal…box　was　black　and　shaped　like　a　sarcophagus！
“This；”　said　Cochrane　—　a　lover　of　cheerful　surroundings　—　in　a　feeble　voice；　“is　no　doubt　the　place　where　these　people　have　been　laid　out　for　generations！”
Remembering　the　horrible　“black　bed”　in　the　Verney　Memoirs；　which　used　to　be　carted　from　house　to　house　whenever　a　death　was　expected　in　the　family；　I　agreed　with　him；　and　departed；　wishing　him　pleasant　dreams　and　a　good　night’s　rest。
So　huge　was　that　castle　—　built；　I　believe；　in　the　time　of　King　John　—　that　in　the　morning　we　were　utterly　unable　to　find　our　way　to　the　breakfast…room。　Up　and　down　passages　we　wandered；　till　at　last　we　saw　a　table　with　writing　materials　on　it；　and　sat　down　there　to　answer　letters；　until　ultimately　we　were　retrieved。
Another　strange　experience　was　when　we　found　ourselves　in　a　bachelor　house；　of　which　the　host；　poor　fellow　—　having；　we　understood；　been　crossed　in　love　—　was　in　the　habit　of　looking　upon　the　wine　when　it　was　red。　In　that　house　there　was　practically　nothing　to　eat；　for　the　reason　that　its　owner　ate　practically　nothing。　I　remember　a　certain　pink　and　underdone　veal　and　ham　pie　which；　as　I　was　extremely　unwell　at　the　time；　did　not　excite　appetite；　also　an　egg　which　I　asked　for　in　place　of　the　pie　—　but　I　will　not　dwell　upon　that　egg！　On　the　other　hand；　we　literally　swam　in　1845　—　yes；　1845　vintage　port。　It　was　going　at　lunch；　it　was　going　at　dinner；　it　was　always　going　—　I　may　add；　it　always　went！
Our　host；　a　most　kindly…natured　and　wealthy　man；　finding　out　that　I　liked　old　furniture；　took　me　to　an　attic　which　was　stuffed　with　Jacobean　oak　and　Georgian　Chippendale。　I　admired　the　pieces；　whereon　he　said　in　a　careless　voice；　“If　you　like　them；　take　them　away。　I　don’t　care　for　them。”
I　was　greatly　tempted；　but　in　all　the　circumstances　did　not　feel　justified　in　accepting　this　liberal　offer。
But　I　must　not　continue　the　record　of　such　reminiscences　of　our　journeyings；　since　of　these　truly　there　is　no　end。
In　the　year　1903；　which　I　spent　at　home；　I　wrote　another　work　of　a　rural　character；　called　“A　Gardener’s　Year。”　This　first　appeared　serially　in　the　Queen；　and　was　afterwards　brought　out　in　a　handsome　volume　of　nearly　four　hundred　pages　by　Messrs。　Longman。　It　went　through　two　editions　and　gave　pleasure　to　a　good　many　people。
Also　I　wrote　a　romance　of　chivalry　called　“The　Brethren；”　of　which　the　scene　is　laid　in　the　Holy　Land　in　the　time　of　the　Crusaders。　Personally　it　is　a　favourite　with　me；　but　my　historical　tales　have　never　been　quite　so　popular　as　are　those　which　deal　with　African　adventure。
Chapter　19　PSYCHICAL
With　eldest　daughter　to　Egypt　—　Return　by　Italy　and　Spain　—　Abu　Simbel　with　Carter　—　Bee’s　nest　2000　years　old　—　“The　Way　of　the　Spirit”　—　Dedicated　to　Kipling　—　Death　of　H。　R。　H。‘s　retriever　Bob　—　Appears　to　him　in　dream　—　Report　published　in　Journal　of　Society　for　Psychical　Research　—　Lasting　effect　on　H。　R。　H。‘s　mind　—　More　dream…pictures　—　Sir　Oliver　Lodge。
Early　in　1904　I　took　my　daughter　Angela　on　a　trip　to　Egypt；　returning　by　way　of　Italy　and　Spain。　We　went　out　on　one　of　the　new　P。　&　O。　boats　which　was　making　her　maiden　voyage；　and　experienced　the　most　awful　weather。　We　began　by　grounding　in　the　Thames　and；　after　a　short　stop　to　bury　a　Lascar　overboard　—　who；　poor　fellow；　had　died　of　the　cold　—　ran　into　a　terrific　gale　in　the　Channel。　The　wind…gauges　registered　its　pace　at　about　eighty　miles　the　hour；　after　which　their　bottoms　were　blown　out　or　something　happened　to　them。　Then　the　fore…hatch　was　stove　in　and　filled　with　water；　as　did　the　passages　along　which　we　had　to　walk　from　the　cabins。　Time　after　time　did　we　stop　to　try　and　make　that　hatch　good　with　four…inch　teak　planks；　but　always　these　were　broken　by　the　force　of　the　sea。
Our　subsequent　misfortunes　were　many。　We　were　taken　in　closer　to　Ushant　than　I　thought　pleasant；　the　new　engines　heated；　the　chief　engineer　went　mad　with　the　strain　and；　when　at　length　we　did　reach　Port　Said；　had　to　be　carried　ashore　raving。　I　believe　that　he　died　not　long　afterwards。　One　night　this　poor　fellow；　dressed　in　full　uniform；　rushed　from　cabin　to　cabin；　telling　the　passengers　to　get　up　as　the　ship　was　sinking！
We　took　the　turn　into　the　Mediterranean　about　twenty…four　hours　late；　and　in　the　dense　darkness　caused　by　a　fearful　squall　nearly　went　ashore　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　as　the　Delhi　did　in　after　years　—　I　saw　her　wreck　only　the　other　day。　When　the　light　came　I　had　a　nearer　view　of　that　shore　than　I　ever　wish　to　see　again　—　from　the　deck　of　an　ocean　liner。　In　Gibraltar　harbour　we　fouled　our　anchor　in　a　man…of…war’s　mooring　chains　and　had　to　slip　it。　In　the　Gulf　of　Lyons　we　encountered　a　very　bad　mistral　while　we　were　trying　to　sling　another　anc