The holiday was over all too soon, but there was nothing depressed or “dumpy” about his lordship. At any rate the world was not allowed to see it if he was, for up to the last moment he was playing practical jokes and laughing. One of the reasons why he was always happy and pleased, wherever he might be going, was because he was sure of a hearty welcome, but of course that was thanks to his own amiability and cheerfulness. Returning to India it was pleasant to be told how much he had been missed, and how delighted everybody was he was back again. He was looking forward to the Dehra races, which would be due shortly after his return. His cousin Willie Holmes was managing the meeting. Here he found a goodly collection of cheery souls, amongst them the well-known Mr. Kelly Maitland, Mr. Horace Hayes, and many more. Lord William’s Gazelle managed to beat Mr. Horace Hayes’ Bismillah in the pony race. They then all moved on to Meerut for more racing. At this meeting Mr. Kelly Maitland gave a cup for a three-quarter-mile pony handicap. The handicapping of Sattara, the pony belonging to Mr. Maitland, upset him, for he considered it unfair. It was a little unusual to enter anything to run for his own cup, and so he had better have swallowed his discomfiture and said nothing, but he began airing his grievance at the Wheler Club in the evening, when Mr. Holmes came into the room, and made some pointed remarks about the generosity in giving a cup he was so evidently anxious to win himself. Then the fat was in the fire, everybody talked at once, shouting to make themselves heard, while somebody went into the lottery room where Lord William was busy, and told him Mr. Maitland was calling Mr. Holmes naughty names. This of course could not be tolerated; he must see his cousin was not sat upon by Mr. Maitland or anybody else, so he dashed into the fray, after which matters were not quieter and the hullabaloo ended in the celebrated “Maitland versus Beresford” defamation case, which was tried before a native judge in 1880 and the plaintiff was non-suited. Lord William’s language was as a rule most polished, and personally I never heard him otherwise than parliamentary, but I have been told that on occasions “He could bring tears to the eyes of a cabby from an utter incompetence to compete with him.” I am under the impression this racing row gave him one of his opportunities and he threw in a few new words not generally understood outside Ireland, which added lustre to the occasion, and it is always annoying to have words hurled at you that you do not know the meaning of. It leaves so much room for speculation and possibilities.