Produced by Al Haines THE MAYFAIR SET III CONVERSATIONS WITH AN UNCLE [Illustration: Title page] SELECT CONVERSATIONS WITH AN UNCLE (now extinct) and two other reminiscences by H. G. WELLS LONDON: JOHN LANE NEW YORK THE MERRIAM COMPANY 1895 _Copyrighted in the United States._ _All rights reserved._ _Second Edition_ TO MY DEAREST AND BEST FRIEND R. A. C. PREFATORY He was, I remember, short, but by no means conspicuously short, and of a bright, almost juvenile, complexion, very active in his movements and garrulous--or at least very talkative. His judgments were copious and frequent in the old days, and some at least I found entertaining. At times his fluency was really remarkable. He had a low opinion of eminent people--a thing I have been careful to suppress, and his dissertations had ever an irresponsible gaiety of manner that may have blinded me to their true want of merit. That, I say, was in the old days, before his abrupt extinction, before the cares of this world suddenly sprang upon, and choked him. I would listen to him, cheerfully, and afterwards I would go away and make articles out of him for the _Pall Mall Gazette_, so adding a certain material advantage to my mental and moral benefit. But all that has gone now, to my infinite regret; and sorrowing, I have arranged this unworthy little tribute to his memory, this poor dozen of casual monologues that were so preserved. The merits of the monument are his entirely; its faults entirely my own. CONTENTS SELECT CONVERSATIONS-- OF CONVERSATION AND THE ANATOMY OF FASHION THE THEORY OF THE PERPETUAL DISCOMFORT OF HUMANITY THE USE OF IDEALS THE ART OF BEING PHOTOGRAPHED BAGSHOT'S MURAL DECORATIONS ON SOCIAL MUSIC THE JOYS OF BEING ENGAGED LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI ON A TRICYCLE AN UNSUSPECTED MASTERPIECE THE GREAT CHANGE THE PAINS OF MARRIAGE A MISUNDERSTOOD ARTIST THE MAN WITH A NOSE OF CONVERSATION AND THE ANATOMY OF FASHION