Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/72

 he seemed in danger of being torn in pieces by cab-drivers all eager for his patronage. Sir George solved the difficulty by announcing that he had always been in favour of large families, and he would take the cab-driver who had the most children. Spirited "bidding" then began, but was quickly ended by a gruff, "You come along er me, sir, I've got seventeen children." As Sir George was driven off in triumph, even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer.

Sir George's repartees when on the election platform are quoted all over the world. His slow gentle manner of dealing with hecklers gives an added piquancy to the situation. One evening when he had been enduring with great good humour continuous interruptions, a man rose from the back and shouted:

"You are double-faced."

Sir George Reid considered the man reflectively:

"It is easy to see that gentleman has not two faces, or he would not have come with the one he has to-night."

One May morning H. H. persuaded his friend Mr John Wanamaker, the late Postmaster-General of America, to leave London's noise and traffic, and spend a few hours in seeing Canterbury and the Kentish orchards in full bloom.

In the train on the way down, Mr Wanamaker learnt from the papers that it was H. H.'s birthday, May 18th, and he at once presented him with his watch as a memento. "When you lose that I will give you another," he said. But the promise had never to be redeemed, for the watch bore a charmed life. It was dropped, and lost and trodden on, and stolen, by a steward on board ship, who subsequently