onger. The quiet visitors of
moderate fortunes find their tastes better suited across the bay, at
Jamestown and Narragansett Pier. Thus whole generations of the
transients have come and gone since the time of my early memories.

CHAPTER XIX

ANOTHER EUROPEAN TRIP

In 1877 I went abroad with my daughter Maud, now Mrs. Elliott, and with
her revisited England, France, and Italy. In London we had the pleasure
of being entertained by Lord Houghton, whom I had known, thirty or more
years earlier, as a bachelor. He was now the father of two attractive
daughters, and of a son who later succeeded to his title. At a breakfast
at his house I met Mr. Waddington, who was at that time very prominent
in French politics. At one of Lord Houghton's receptions I witnessed the
entrance of a rather awkward man, and was told that this was Mr. Irving,
whose performance of Hamlet was then much talked of. Here I met the
widow of Barry Cornwall, who was also the mother of the lamented
Adelaide Procter.

An evening at Devonshire House and a ball at Mr. Goschen's were among
our gayeties. At the former place I saw Mr. Gladstone for the first
time, and met Lord Rosebery, whom I had known in America. I had met Mrs.
Schliemann and had received from her an invitation to attend a meeting
(I think) of the Royal Geographical Society, at which she was to make an
address. Her theme was a plea in favor of the modern pronunciation of
Greek. It was much applauded, and the discussion of the views presented
by her was opened by Mr. Gladstone himself.

Lord Houghton one day asked whether I should like to go to breakfast
with Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone. One reply only to such a question was
possible, and on the morning appointed we drove together to the
Gladstone mansion. We were a little early, for Mrs. Gladstone complained
that the flowers ordered from her country seat had but just arrived. A
daughter of the house proceeded to arrange them. Breakfast was served at
two round tables, exactly alike.

I was glad to find myself seated between the great man and the Greek
minister, John Gennadius. The talk ran a good deal upon Hellenics, and I
spoke of the influence of the Greek in the formation of the Italian
language, to which Mr. Gladstone did not agree. I know that scholars
differ on this point, but I still retain the opinion which I then
expressed. I ventured a timid remark regarding the great number of Greek
derivatives used in our common English speec