The Henson Journals

[349]

Wednesday, May 18th, 1921.

I was called at 6.45 a.m., breakfasted in my room, caught the 8.17 a.m. train, and reached Darlington at 11.5 a.m. There the car met me & carried me to the Castle.

I had an interview with Mr Francis, the Vicar of New Shildon, a little, nervous, voluble man who fails to ^win^ confidence. He has grievances against his curate, infinitely petty & immensely plausible. He stayed to lunch, &, hardly had he vanished from the scene, before Mr Warth, the curate, appeared, & told his story, equally plausible & vastly more adequate. I counselled reconciliation, & a continuance of relations!

William went to Wallsend to fetch the Wolesley car, and had instructions to be back in good time to take me to West Auckland, where I was pledged to dedicate a war memorial. But he never turned up! I was thrown into the most painful anxieties. What but an accident could have hindered him? And what might not an accident involve for him, & for the car? I never knew how much I loved the boy before! However I had to keep tryst: so I drove out in a hired "growler", & fulfilled my duty. When I reached the Castle, I was informed to my infinite relief that William & the car had arrived safely. He had been detained at Wallsend, where the finishing touches were being put on the car.

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