ore her and kissed her proffered hand. Whether in high
circles, or in those of ordinary people, in expected surroundings or
amid unexpected conditions, the Prince seemed to always retain this
faculty of politeness in the true sense of the word--a product of heart
and mind rather than of mere instruction or habit.

His manner and style of public speaking was an incident in the Prince of
Wales' career which exercised considerable influence upon his personal
popularity. The pronounced factors in his style were not oratory,
gestures, or brilliancy. Plain in matter and manner the speeches always
were; full of meat and substance they frequently were; neat and
effective they were generally considered. Mr. Gladstone once went
further than this description would seem to warrant when he declared
that there were few speakers whom he listened to with more pleasure.
"His speeches are invariably marvels of conciseness, graceful expression
and clear elocution". His voice was a good one, clear and distinct and
well-trained. Nervous in his younger days and accustomed to learn the
speeches off for delivery, he gradually changed with age and experience
into the delivery of _impromptu_ after-dinner remarks and speeches which
did not show traces of the midnight oil or earnest preparation--although
often full of facts and incidents about the immense variety of subjects
with which he had to deal.

Intimately connected with these characteristics of his was the
unquestioned ability to judge human nature. This quality enabled the
Prince to play his difficult part so well as he did, to keep him in
touch with all classes and the masses, to cultivate all the varied
elements of a changing national life, and to be as much at home amongst
business men as at the Royal Academy--amongst the aristocracy of London
as with the farmers of Norfolk. He was ever a good judge of the people
around him and, perhaps, no man in modern life was so well and
faithfully served. His memory for names and faces was extraordinary and
would remind Canadians of the unique faculty in this connection
possessed by the late Sir John Macdonald. He always hated affectation
and toadyism and liked sincerity and simplicity. Marie Corelli, writing
in 1897, used the following expressive words: "To entertain the Prince
do little; for he is clever enough to entertain himself privately with
the folly and humbug of those he sees around him, without actually
sharing in the petty comedy. He