第53部分(第1/7 页)

st　with　a　marvellous　memory。　I　have　heard　him　tell　story　after　story　without　stopping；　till　at　length　I　began　to　hope　that　the　stock　was　running　low。　Sir　Redvers　was　always　very　kind　to　me；　but　he　was　not　a　man　to　cross　in　argument。　Once；　at　his　own　table；　I　heard　him　differ　from　the　late　Lord　Justice　Bowen　in　a　way　that　made　me　glad　that　I　was　not　Lord　Justice　Bowen。　What　struck　me　was　the　extraordinary　patience　with　which　the　Judge　submitted　to　the　scolding。　He　must　have　had　a　very　sweet　nature；　indeed　I　always　thought　that　this　was　so。

It　was　about　this　time　that　I　first　made　the　acquaintance　of　Mr。　Rudyard　Kipling；　who　had　recently　arrived　in　England；　I　suppose　from　India。　He　was　then　a　young　fellow　about　five…and…twenty；　and　in　appearance　and　manner　very　much　what　he　is　today。　I　cannot　recall　under　what　circumstance　we　first　met。　Perhaps　it　was　at　a　dinner…party　I　gave　at　my　house；　24　Redcliffe　Square；　to　some　literary　friends。　I　remember　that　Kipling　arrived　late　and　explained　the　reason　by　pointing　to　a　cut　upon　his　temple。　Whilst　he　was　driving　towards　my　house　his　hansom　collided　with　a　van　in　Piccadilly；　and　there　was　a　smash　in　which　he　had　a　narrow　escape。　From　that　time　forward　we　have　always　liked　each　other；　perhaps　because　on　many；　though　not　on　all；　matters　we　find　no　point　of　difference。

Another　man　very　well　known　in　his　day　with　whom　I　was　acquainted　was　the　great　and　acplished　doctor；　Sir　Henry　Thompson；　by　birth　an　East　Anglian　like　myself。　Once　I　was　present　at　one　of　his　famous　octave　dinners。　If　I　remember　right；　we　were　received　in　a　room　hung　round　with　beautiful　pictures　by　Etty；　as　were　others　in　the　house。　It　had　a　couch　in　it　on　which　Sir　Henry　slept；　or　rather　tried　to　sleep；　at　nights。　He　suffered　terribly　from　insomnia