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Beerbohm, Max, Sir, 1872-1956

"Yet Again"

Among the passengers
was Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, who had come over in personal charge of
Anne Hathaway's Cottage, his purchase of which for ?2,000,000 excited
so much attention on your side a few weeks ago. Mr. Blank's
sensational revelations not having been published to the world till
two days after the Carmania left Liverpool, the millionaire collector
had, of course, no cognisance of the same. On disembarking he
proceeded straight to the Customs Office and inquired how much duty
was to be imposed on the cottage. On being courteously informed that
the article would be passed into the country free of charge, he
evinced considerable surprise. I then ventured to approach Mr. Morgan
and to hand him a journal containing the cabled summary of Mr. Blank's
disclosures, which he proceeded to peruse. His comments I must reserve
for the next mail, the cable clerks here demurring to their
transmission.
Only a dream? But a sweet one. Bustle about, Baconians, and bring it
true. Don't listen to my florist.

A HOME-COMING
Belike, returning from a long pilgrimage, in which you have seen many
strange men and strange cities, and have had your imagination stirred
by marvellous experiences, you have never, at the very end of your
journey, almost in sight of your home, felt suddenly that all you had
been seeing and learning was as naught--a pack of negligible
illusions, faint and forgotten.


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