第75部分(第3/7 頁)

en　asked　to　nominate　a　missioner；　have　made　a　grant　of　300　pounds；　including　all　travel　expenses；　to　meet　the　cost　of　the　Inquiry。

I　am；　Sir；

Your　obedient　servant；

Fred。　Graham。

H。　Rider　Haggard；　Esq。

I　remember　that　when　I　went　to　see　the　Colonial　Secretary　to　receive　his　verbal　instructions　before　sailing；　by　some　accident　I　missed　the　right　entrance　to　the　Colonial　Office　and　finally　obtained　admission　through　a　little　back…door。　At　the　time　this　circumstance　struck　me　as　curiously　emblematic　of　my　position。　For　after　a　cessation　of　twenty…six　years　was　I　not　once　again　entering　the　official　service　of　my　country　through　a　back…door；　by　means　of　this　unexpected　mission　with　which　I　was　now　honoured？

I　inspected　the　Salvation　Army　colony　at　Hadleigh。　Also　I　had　a　long　interview　with　General　Booth；　and　in　due　course　I　arrived　at　New　York　acpanied　by　my　daughter　Angela；　who　acted　as　my　secretary。　Here　I　was　seized　upon　by　interviewers；　one　instance　of　which　I　must　record；　because　it　is　amusing。　In　the　Waldorf　Hotel　we　had　three　rooms　—　my　daughter’s；　my　own；　and　a　place　for　sitting。　About　two　o’clock　one　night　the　telephone　in　each　of　these　rooms　（every　room　in　an　American　hotel　has　a　telephone）　began　to　ring　furiously。　I　leapt　from　my　bed　and　tried　to　attend　to　two　of　them。　While　I　was　doing　so　my　poor　daughter　arrived　shivering　in　her　nightgown　（there　were　many　degrees　of　frost）；　exclaiming；　“Oh；　Dad；　do　e　here！　There　is　a　lunatic　on　the　telephone　who　says　he　wants　me　to　e　out　walking　in　the　streets。”

It　turned　out　that　some　enterprising　newspaper　was　distributing　food　to　the　New　York　poor；　and　thought　that　it　might　get　an　advertisement　by　our　presence　at　the　process。

After　this　the　young　lady　in　question　became