第38部分(第1/7 页)

iolence。　。　。　。　I　suppose　that　by　this　time　you　will　have　developed　into　a　full　blown　barrister；　and　I　need　not　tell　you　that　from　my　heart　I　wish　you　every　success。　You　ought　to　try　for　an　appointment　as　Attorney…General　in　a　colony　（Crown）；　as　you　have　the　pull　of　private　practice　in　addition　to　your　official　employment　in　such　an　office。

It　is　evident　that　when　Sir　Melmoth　Osborn　wrote　thus　of　the　death　of　Cetewayo　as　having　taken　place　on　July　21；　1883；　he　was　deceived　by　some　false　rumour　which　had　reached　the　Reserve　from　Zululand　proper。　Cetewayo　did　not　really　die　until　February　8；　1884；　and　Osborn　saw　his　corpse　before　it　was　quite　cold。　An　account　of　the　circumstances　of　his　death；　which　Sir　Melmoth　told　me　afterwards　he　believed　to　have　been　caused　by　poison；　will　be　found　on　pp。　28　and　29　of　the　Introduction　to　the　1888　and　subsequent　editions　of　my　book　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours。”

I　think　that　we　left　Ditchingham；　which　at　the　time　I　thought　I　had　let　for　some　years　to　a　gentleman　who　unhappily　died　before　he　took　possession；　at　the　beginning　of　1885；　about　ten　years　after　I　began　life　in　South　Africa。　Now　with　a　wife　and　three　children　I　was　practically　beginning　life　again　in　a　small　furnished　house　in　West　Kensington　at　the　age　of　twenty…eight　or　thereabouts。

I　remember；　as　one　does　remember　trifles；　that　we　drove　in　a　railway　bus　from　Liverpool　Street　to　the　West　Kensington　house；　which　personally　I　had　not　seen。　We　passed　down　the　Embankment；　and　my　little　son；　whom　I　was　destined　to　lose；　kneeled　upon　the　seat　of　the　bus　and　stared　at　the　Thames；　asking　many　questions。

After　my　arrival　in　London　I　began　to　attend　the　Probate　and　Divorce　Court。　Soon　I　found；　however；　that　if　I　was　to　obtain　a　footing　in　that　rath