The Henson Journals

[440]

Tuesday, June 25th, 1912.

We dined with Mr Yerburgh M.P. for Chester, at his house 25 Kensington Gore. The dinner party numbered no less than 30 persons. I took down to dinner the Authoress, Mrs Forbes, a rather uncanny–looking female who, however, was agreeable & talkative. The house is full of pictures. Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gainsborough, Romney, & more modern painters have been drawn upon to cover the walls with things of beauty. The pictures were collected by Mrs Yerburgh's father, Thwaites. She told me – no, one of the guests who professed to be her intimate friend from the cradle – that the noble picture, "The ladies Waldegrave", had originally cost £19,000: & was now valued at £100,000. It had been scheduled as an heir–loom, & paid no Death–duties. There were water–colours by Turner in the lower room, & in truth the house combined the charms of a palace & a picture–gallery.

My letter headed, 'A case of Counter–Appeals with a difference', appeared in this morning's "Times".

Sir George White, the hero of Ladysmith, died yesterday: Alma–Tadema the painter died today.

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