Superintended by Sir
William Thompson, this improvised establishment was attended to by the
personnel of the Irish hospital, and Mr. Guinness was there himself,
organizing their work and doing excellent service.
One evening we were most hospitably entertained to dinner by Lord
Stanley, Captain Fortescue, the Duke of Westminster, and Winston. As it
may be imagined, we heard many interesting details of the past stages of
the war. Winston, even at that early stage of his career, and although
he had been but a short time, comparatively, with Lord Roberts's force,
had contrived therein to acquire influence and authority. The "bosses,"
doubtless, disapproved of his free utterances, but he was nevertheless
most amusing to listen to, and a general favourite. The next day we saw
him and the Duke of Westminster off on their way South, and having
fixed my own departure for the following Monday, and seen most of the
sights, I determined to avail myself of an invitation Captain Laycock,
A.D.C. to General French, had given me, and go to the Netherlands Club
in order to peruse the goodly supply of newspapers and periodicals of
which they were the proud possessors. It was a cold, windy afternoon,
and, finding the front-door locked and no bell visible, I went to one of
the long French windows at the side of the house, through which I could
see a cozy fire glimmering.
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