It is no use going into the details of old official squabbles, however troublesome they may have been at the time. They are only worth mentioning as a proof of the generous way in which Lord Beaconsfield always supported his subordinates—if they were in the right—even at inconvenience to himself from a political point of view; and in this case it put him in a great difficulty on account of Lord Henry Lennox’s position and family. However, the Duke of Richmond, meeting my father, said: “I hope you do not think that I am supporting the attack upon your son”—so all was well. When once I got into harness I felt that no man could have more congenial work. It was all the more interesting from the fact that there was a good deal of leeway to make up. It had been a tradition of the Office, as one of the senior clerks told me, that the Secretary should never go and see anything, because if he did he would not be in such a good position to say “No.” I felt that such an attitude would certainly not be one that I could adopt. Saying “No” is one of the chief difficulties of the Secretary’s position, and it is one which often needs the use of considerable tact, especially when he is dealing with the mightiest in the land, for the “accounting officer” can only work within the four very tight corners of the Parliamentary votes; on the other hand I felt that it was his duty to ascertain beforehand what was really needful and what was likely to be asked for and this could only be done by careful personal inspection. If the request was right and reasonable it could be provided for in the coming estimates; if not the “No” could be said with effective knowledge and without giving offence.