Lord Ripon’s zeal for the natives having created a strong and most undesirable antagonism between the Europeans and natives, the new Viceroy’s first endeavour was to restore confidence to the European community without undue reaction, and he succeeded in a measure. Lord William remained in his old haunts, being appointed Military Secretary to the new Viceroy; he also being experienced, all began smoothly. In domestic politics Lord Dufferin carried out certain reforms in the tenure of land in Bengal (Bengal Tenancy Act, passed 1885), and Lady Dufferin started a great work with a view to providing medical treatment and nursing for native women, of which I will write later. In all these movements Lord William took the keenest interest, and he was the oil which helped to keep the machinery working smoothly. Somebody once said, “A landlord is the father of his tenants,” then surely a good competent Military Secretary who has been at his post some years is father, godfather and nurse all rolled into one to the Viceroy. The private secretary, Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace, was also exceptionally capable and a man of letters. Being so well supported must have been a comfort to Lord Dufferin during the anxious time which followed his taking office, for there was still that urgent and difficult question of the Afghan boundary demanding attention. The hitherto sketchy and uncertain alignment as arranged and agreed in the 1872-3 Anglo-Russian agreement left loopholes for controversy, the River Oxus having been regarded as the boundary or demarcation line. This river had views of its own, altering its course to suit its own convenience, therefore could not be relied upon as a satisfactory or definite boundary, but one likely to lead to misunderstanding. The Russians were also a little pressing with their influence in the direction of Herat. As we had been led to look upon that place as “The Key of India,” we had to consider what was best to be done to prevent its occupation by the Russians. It may be remembered that Lord Dufferin considered almost any deviation in the boundary better than offending the Amir and making him antagonistic to us.