Lord Tennyson's Isle of Wight home Mrs. Allingham did not see until after she returned to live in London, when Mr. Hallam Tennyson, in conversing with her about her drawings, told her that if she would come to the Isle of Wight he could show her some fine old cottages. She accordingly went at the Easter of 1890 to Freshwater, when he was as good as his word, and she at once began drawings of "The Dairy" and the cottage "At Pound Green." Miss Kate Greenaway, who had come to stay with her, also painted them. The next spring, and many springs afterwards, Mrs. Allingham went to Freshwater, generally after the Easter holidays. During one of these stays she accompanied Birket Foster to Farringford, and the poet asked the two artists to come for a walk with him. There happened to be a boy of the party in a sailor costume with a bright blue collar and a scarlet cap, and Birket Foster, who was at the moment walking behind with Mrs. Allingham, said, "Why is that red and blue so disagreeable?" Tennyson's quick ear caught something, and he turned on them, setting his stick firmly in the ground, and asked Mr. Foster to explain himself. "Well," Mr. Foster said, "I only know that the effect of the contrast is to make cold water run down my spine." Mrs. Allingham cordially agreed with Mr. Birket Foster, but Tennyson could not feel the "cold water," although he saw their point, and said it was doubtless with painters as with himself in poetry, namely, that some combinations of sound gave intense pleasure, whilst others grated, and he quoted certain lines as being so to him. On another occasion, whilst walking with him at Freshwater, he said something which led Mrs. Allingham to mention that she generally kept her drawings by her for a long time, often for years, working on them now and again and considering about figures and incidents for them,[14] upon which he remarked that it was the same in the case of poems, and that he used generally to keep his by him, often in print, for a considerable time before publishing. * * * * * The following drawings have been sufficiently described in the text:-- [Illustration: 70. THE HOUSE, FARRINGFORD _From the Water-colour in the possession of Mr. John Mackinnon._ Painted 1890.] [Illustration: 71. THE KITCHEN-GARDEN, FARRINGFORD _From the Water-colour in the possession of Mrs. Combe._ Painted 1894.] [Illustration: 72. THE DAIRY, FARRINGFORD _From the Water-colour in the possession of Mr. Douglas Freshfield._ Painted 1890.] [Illustration: 73. ONE OF LORD TENNYSON'S COTTAGES, FARRINGFORD _From the Water-colour in the possession of Mr. E. Marsh Simpson._ Painted 1900.] [Illustration: 74. A GARDEN IN OCTOBER, ALDWORTH _From the Water-colour in the possession of Mr. F. Pennington._ Painted 1891.] The next three water-colours find a place here, as having been painted during visits to the Island.