onroy has lots of money, and he'd be
sorry if the English people were put to any expense in repairing a
battleship we injured."

I am not a practised ambassador, but I have always understood that
diplomacy is a trade in which politeness pays. I was not going to be
outdone by Clithering. When he offered Belfast a new statue I could
hardly do less than promise that Conroy would mend the ship. I was
very glad afterwards that I thought of it. Clithering was tremendously
pleased, and made me quite a long speech. He said that he looked upon
my offer as a kind of first-fruit of the new spirit of amity which
was coming into existence between England and Ireland.

This ended our negotiations to the satisfaction of every one
concerned.

Lady Moyne returned at once to Castle Affey and spent the summer in
planning new ways of keeping the insurgent industrial democracy from
invading the rights and privileges of the propertied classes. Last
time I dined there she explained to me a scheme for developing the Boy
Scout movement, which would, she thought, distract the attention of
the public and push social questions into the background. Babberly
escaped having to address a labour meeting in Newcastle-on-Tyne. He
had promised to do this, but there was no necessity for him to keep
his promise once the troops were withdrawn from Belfast. He returned
to his duties in Parliament, and, as I gathered from the papers,
harassed the Government successfully all through the autumn session.
The Dean and Crossan played their hymn tune on our church bells every
day for a fortnight. They still--and I am writing several months after
the new Irish Government has been firmly established--congratulate
each other on the way in which the third Home Rule Bill was defeated
by the unfaltering attitude of the Ulster Loyalists.

Godfrey, I regret to say, failed to marry Miss Clithering. She took a
violent dislike to him after he had spent three weeks in her father's
house. Not even the prospect of becoming Lady Kilmore would reconcile
her to the marriage. I am therefore still responsible for his
maintenance.

I have, unfortunately, been obliged to give up writing my "History of
Irish Rebellions." I do not understand Marion's system of filing, and
I cannot find any of the papers I want. I cannot get Marion to explain
things to me, or to take any trouble to help me. Since she married Bob
Power she has lost all interest in my literary work.