So many things go to make up that very amiable feast of Christmas when it is successful that I can hardly think now of all that contributed to this one. There was Sir Scorp, of whom by now I had grown very fond, and who was coming here to spend the holidays. There was Gerard Barfleur, a cousin of Barfleur’s, a jolly, roystering theatrical manager, who was unquestionably--after Barfleur--one of the most pleasing figures I met in England, a whimsical, comic-ballad-singing, character-loving soul, who was as great a favorite with women and children as one would want to find. He knew all sorts of ladies, apparently, of high and low degree, rich and poor, beautiful and otherwise, and seemed kindly disposed toward them all. I could write a splendid human-interest sketch of Gerard Barfleur alone. There was Mr. T. McT., a pale, thoughtful person, artistic and poetic to his finger tips, curator of one of the famous museums, a lover of Mr. Housman’s “A Shropshire Lad,” a lover of ancient glass and silver, whose hair hung in a sweet mop over his high, pale forehead, and whose limpid dark eyes shone with a kindly, artistic light. Then there was Barfleur’s aunt and her daughter, mother and sister respectively of the highly joyous Gerard Barfleur, and wife and daughter of a famous litterateur. Then, to cap it all, were the total of Barfleur’s very interesting household,--housekeeper, governess, maid, cook, gardener, and--last, but not least, the four charming, I might almost say adorable, children. There, too, was Barfleur, a host in himself. For weeks beforehand he kept saying on occasion as we wandered about London together, “No, we can’t go there,” or, “You mustn’t accept that, because we have reserved that Saturday and Sunday for Christmas at my place,” and so nothing was done which might interfere. Being in his hands I finally consulted him completely as to Christmas presents, and found that I was to be limited to very small gifts, mere tokens of good-will, I being his guest. I did manage to get him a supply of his favorite cigarettes, however, unknown to himself,--the ones his clever secretary told me he much preferred,--and had them sent out to the house with some favorite books for the remaining members of the household.