An Autobiography, vols 1,2 | Page 4

may say this?" or "write that?" is to shift a little of that responsibility on to someone else. This I could not bear to do, above all in the case of my husband, who sees these recollections for the first time now. My only literary asset is natural directness, and that faculty would have been paralysed if I thought anything that I have written here would implicate him. I would rather have made a hundred blunders of style or discretion than seem, even to myself, let alone the world at large, to have done that.
Unlike many memoirists, the list of people I have to thank in this preface is short: Lord Crewe and Mr. Texeira de Mattos--who alone saw my MS. before its completion--for their careful criticisms which in no way committed them to approving of all that I have written; Mr. Desmond MacCarthy, for valuable suggestions; and my typist, Miss Lea, for her silence and quickness.
There are not many then of whom I can truly say, "Without their approval and encouragement this book would never have been written"--but those who really love me will forgive me and know that what I owe them is deeper than thanks.

CONTENTS OF BOOK ONE

CHAPTER I
THE TENNANT FAMILY--MARGOT, ONE OF TWELVE CHILDREN--HOME LIFE IN GLEN, SCOTLAND--FATHER A SELF-CENTRED BUSINESS-MAN; HIS VANITIES; HIS PRIDE IN HIS CHILDREN--NEWS OF HIS DEATH--HANDSOME LORD RIBBLESDALE VISITS GLEN--MOTHER DELICATE; HER LOVE OF ECONOMY; CONFIDENCES--TENNANT GIRLS' LOVE AFFAIRS

CHAPTER II
GLEN AMONG THE MOORS--MARGOT'S ADVENTURE WITH A TRAMP--THE SHEPHERD BOY--MEMORIES AND ESCAPADES--LAURA AND MARGOT; PROPOSALS OF MARRIAGE--NEW MEN FRIENDS--LAURA ENGAGED; PROPOSAL IN THE DUSK--MARGOT'S ACCIDENT IN HUNTING FIELD--LAURA'S PREMONITION OF DEATH IN CHILDBIRTH--LAURA'S WILL

CHAPTER III
SLUMMING IN LONDON; ADVENTURE IN WHITECHAPEL; BRAWL IN A SALOON; OUTINGS WITH WORKING GIRLS--MARGOT MEETS PRINCESS OF WALES--GOSSIP OVER FRIENDSHIP WITH PRINCE OF WALES--LADY RANDOLPH CHURCHILL'S BALL--MARGOT'S FIRST HUNT; MEETS ECCENTRIC DUKE OF BEAUFORT; FALLS IN LOVE AT SEVENTEEN; COMMANDEERS A HORSE

CHAPTER IV
MARGOT AT A GIRLS' SCHOOL--WHO SPILT THE INK?--THE ENGINE DRIVER'S MISTAKEN FLIRTATION--MARGOT LEAVES SCHOOL IN DISGUST--DECIDES TO GO TO GERMANY TO STUDY
CHAPTER V
A DRESDEN LODGING HOUSE--MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE WITH AN OFFICER AFTER THE OPERA--AN ELDERLY AMERICAN ADMIRER--YELLOW ROSES, GRAF VON-- AND MOTIFS FROM WAGNER

CHAPTER VI
MARGOT RIDES HORSE INTO LONDON HOME AND SMASHES FURNITURE--SUITOR IS FORBIDDEN THE HOUSE--ADVISES GIRL FRIEND TO ELOPE; INTERVIEW WITH GIRL'S FATHER--TETE-A-TETE DINNER IN PARIS WITH BARON HIRSCH --WINNING TIP FROM FRED ARCHER THE JOCKEY

CHAPTER VII
PHOENIX PARK MURDERS--REMEDIES FOR IRELAND--TELEPATHY AND PLANCHETTE--VISIT TO BLAVATSKY--SIR CHARLES DILKE'S KISS--VISITS TO GLADSTONE--THE LATE LORD SALISBURY'S POLITICAL PROPHECIES

CHAPTER VIII
THE BEAUTIFUL KATE VAUGHAN--COACHED BY COQUELIN IN MOLIERE-- ROSEBERY'S POPULARITY AND ELOQUENCE--CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN BON-VIVANT AND BOULEVARDIER--BALFOUR'S MOT; HIS CHARM AND WIT; HIS TASTES AND PREFERENCES; HIS RELIGIOUS SPECULATION

CONTENTS OF BOOK TWO

CHAPTER I
THE SOULS--LORD CURZON'S POEM AND DINNER PARTY AND WHO WERE THESE --MARGOT'S INVENTORY OF THE GROUP--TILT WITH THE LATE LADY LONDONDERRY--VISIT TO TENNYSON; HIS CONTEMPT FOR CRITICS; HIS HABIT OF LIVING--J. K. S. NOT A SOUL--MARGOT'S FRIENDSHIP WITH JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS; HIS PRAISE OF MARIE BASHKIRTSEFF

CHAPTER II
CHARACTER SKETCH OF MARGOT--PLANS TO START A MAGAZINE--MEETS MASTER OF BALLIOL; JOWETT'S ORTHODOXY; HIS INTEREST IN AND INFLUENCE OVER MARGOT--ROSE IN "ROBERT ELSMERE" IDENTIFIED AS MARGOT--JOWETT'S OPINION OF NEWMAN--JOWETT ADVISES MARGOT TO MARRY--HUXLEY'S BLASPHEMY

CHAPTER III
FAST AND FURIOUS HUNTING IN LEICESTERSHIRE--COUNTRY HOUSE PARTY AND A NEW ADMIRER--FRIENDSHIP WITH LORD AND LADY MANNERS

CHAPTER IV
MARGOT FALLS IN LOVE AGAIN--"HAVOC" IN THE HUNTING FIELD; A FALL AND A DUCKING--THE FAMOUS MRS. BO; UNHEEDED ADVICE FROM A RIVAL--A LOVERS' QUARREL--PETER JUMPS IN THE WINDOW--THE AMERICAN TROTTER-- ANOTHER LOVER INTERVENES--PETER RETURNS FROM INDIA; ILLUMINATION FROM A DARK WOMAN

CHAPTER V
THE ASQUITH FAMILY TREE--HERBERT H. ASQUITH'S MOTHER--ASQUITH'S FIRST MARRIAGE; MEETS MARGOT TENNANT FOR FIRST TIME--TALK TILL DAWN ON HOUSE OF COMMONS' TERRACE; OTHER MEETINGS--ENGAGEMENT A LONDON SENSATION--MARRIAGE AN EVENT

CHAPTER VI
THE ASQUITH CHILDREN BY THE FIRST MARRIAGE--MARGOT'S STEPDAUGHTER VIOLET--MEMORY OF THE FIRST MRS. ASQUITH--RAYMOND'S BRILLIANT CAREER--ARTHUR'S HEROISM IN THE WAR

CHAPTER VII
VISIT TO WOMAN'S PRISON--INTERVIEW THERE WITH MRS. MAYBRICK-- SCENE IN A LIFER'S CELL; THE HUSBAND WHO NEVER KNEW THOUGHT WIFE MADE MONEY SEWING--MARGOT'S PLEA THAT FAILED

CHAPTER VIII
MARGOT'S FIRST BABY AND ITS LOSS--DANGEROUS ILLNESS--LETTER FROM QUEEN VICTORIA--SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT'S PLEASANTRIES--ASQUITH MINISTRY FALLS--VISIT FROM DUCHESS D'AOSTA

CHAPTER IX
MARGOT IN 1906 SUMS UP HER LIFE; A LOT OF LOVE-MAKING, A LITTLE FAME AND MORE ABUSE: A REAL MAN AND GREAT HAPPINESS

MARGOT ASQUITH
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

BOOK ONE

"Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid wooed by incapacity."--Blake.

CHAPTER I
THE TENNANT FAMILY--MARGOT, ONE OF TWELVE CHILDREN--HOME LIFE IN GLEN, SCOTLAND--FATHER A SELF-CENTRED BUSINESS-MAN; HIS VANITIES; HIS PRIDE IN HIS CHILDREN--NEWS OF HIS DEATH--HANDSOME LORD RIBBLESDALE VISITS GLEN--MOTHER DELICATE; HER LOVE OF ECONOMY; CONFIDENCES--TENNANT GIRLS' LOVE AFFAIRS
I was born in the country of Hogg and Scott between the Yarrow and the Tweed, in the year 1864.
I am one of twelve children, but I only knew eight, as the others died when I was young. My eldest sister Pauline--or Posie, as we called her--was born in 1855 and married on my tenth birthday one of