He, of course, made it a point of honour never to criticise or express any opinion on the policy or private lives of those he worked for, but being so intimately connected with the Viceregal Court, both in his official capacity and as a valued friend, all movements, military or civil, naturally entailed work for him, and it must be borne in mind that he not only did what his calling demanded, but at all times laid himself out to be useful to his masters and their belongings. It is worth pausing for a moment to reflect on the life of an Indian Viceroy; we shall then be able to realise what it must have been to them to have a man like Lord William, with his loyalty, ability, and never-failing sympathy and cheerfulness always at their command. No doubt it is a great honour to be asked to represent the King in India, and a much coveted position, but when we look back at the men who have held this high office, it seems that nothing but patriotism, of the highest order, can have persuaded them to leave their own beautiful and stately homes, where they were their own masters, could live in peace with all they loved around them, and where they could mix freely with their neighbours, for the splendid isolation of the Viceregal throne; not having been trained, as Royalty are, to be approached only through mediums, having to sit upon a pedestal from which they must not descend, no matter what their inclinations, and up which none may climb to greet them, is paying a huge price for the honour. They must often feel very lonely, some I know do, and very homesick. The choice of the staff is naturally a matter of great importance, and a Viceroy usually selects people with whom he can unbend and associate without infringing precedents and necessarily established laws and customs. Not every man makes a good A.D.C.; it is of no use their having views of their own; they are there to do as they are told. Their duties are not very arduous, unless they like to make them so by doing all sorts of kind and thoughtful things not marked on the day’s programme. How unsuited some are for the appointments they hold, was proved by Captain Gordon (later of Khartoum fame and tragedy), who came out from home as Lord Ripon’s private secretary. By the time he had been in the country a few weeks he resigned, as he could not countenance His Excellency’s policy, and expressed his own views somewhat bluntly, which was disconcerting to everybody in turn. After this little digression we must return to the time after the Delhi Durbar, when famine was casting a heavy shadow over the land, and Lord Lytton decided he would go and see for himself the extent of the misery and distress; no light undertaking, as it entailed much travelling to visit all the different parts, chiefly in the Madras Presidency, the district that had suffered from the same cause in 1853 and 1854. The affected area covered 2,000,000 square miles, where food was wanted for thirty-six million people.