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60 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. V.
We had at one time or another some other foreign visitors, including a German cavalry officer, Major Von Heller and his wife, some other Germans, a Polish lady, Countess Posadowsky, and a Danish lady, all of whom added to our stock of knowledge in various degrees.
One does not seem often to meet Dutch people in England, but in the summer of 1901, the Baroness De Zuylen der Nyevelt, one of the Ladies-in-Waiting of the Queen of Holland, had a house for some months in Granville Road. Her visits to our house, bringing a delightful little daughter, opened up new topics of conversation for myself and my family. The little girl much amused us by her account of the carriage she had at home in Holland, drawn by 4 goats.
On many occasions during my residence at East-Bourne, we were called upon to receive at our house, visitors interesting for reasons astronomical, political or ecclesiastical. The most distinguished astronomical visitor certainly was Professor J. C. Adams of Cambridge, the discoverer of the planet Neptune. It was also astronomy which obtained for us, at the request of Sir Norman Lockyer, F.R.S., the pleasure of the acquaintance of Lord and Lady Edward Spencer Churchill, an acquaintance which I am glad to say abides. Astronomy like poverty may be said to make strange bedfellows. On one very busy afternoon when our house was turned topsy-turvy to prepare for a large Shakespeare Reading, there came a ring at the front-door followed by a message brought to me by the parlourmaid " Please sir, a gentleman wishes to see you." I said, " Who is he ? and what does he want?" My servant said "He wont give his name or say why he wrants to see you." I replied '" Tell him, therefore, I wont see him." He went away in a dudgeon. The next morning brought me a most abusive letter to the effect that the writer was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, knew me and my books, was anxious to make my acquaintance and see my observatory, and was surprised at my rudeness in refusing to let him in. I replied, " Why did you not tell my parlourmaid all this and you would have been |
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