The Henson Journals

[193]

Monday, October 23rd, 1922.

Clayton accompanied me in the motor to Darlington where I caught the 9 a.m. express. Sir Hugh Bell was on the train, and talked with me about the political crisis. He is frankly rejoicing at the fall of Lloyd George, though doubtful as to the competence of the Conservatives by themselves to carry the country. On arriving in town, I dove to 21 Park Lane, & deposited my bag. Then I went to the barber, & had my hair cut. I had tea in the Club. Charles was there, and as usual was full of complaint as to the ceremonial of the Abbey. He said that the Dean intended to resign, but not immediately. "Would I accept the Deanery if it were offered to me?" I gravely replied that in the event of a proposal being made to me by the right authority, I would certainly give the matter my careful consideration!! As Tom Creevy would have said, Now did you ever? Later Pearce, the Master of Corpus, Cambridge, asked me whether I would accept the Rede Lecture, if I were asked, and, with unpardonable folly I said that I would. How could I possibly find time to prepare a lecture on a subject neither religious nor ecclesiastical by next May? I dined solitarily in the Club after a long talk with Lord Summer, whose acquaintance I made at the Club. He thinks hat Prohibition will persist in America in spite of the evasion of the la in the Atlantic states, and along the Canadian border. The business men are all for it.

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