now no longer be reckoned a "deep 'Gyptian," though the
impulse of his work undoubtedly stirred up many scholars to pursue the
study of the Romany language. In his latter days in London he sometimes
had pleasant intercourse with such kindred spirits as Mr. Watts-Dunton,
Mr. Hindes Groome, and he was still robust enough at seventy to plunge
into an ice-covered pond on a bitterly cold March morning. When he
finally retired to his Oulton cottage, where a Mrs. Barbour was his
housekeeper until Dr. and Mrs. MacOubrey joined him in 1878, he began to
spend much of his time in Norwich. A life-long friend of his was Miss
Lucy Brightwell, a prolific writer and most skilful etcher, who died at
her house, No. 3, Surrey Street, April 17th, 1875. Here we must perforce
quote Dr. Knapp: "Miss Brightwell was an intimate and constant visitor at
the Willow Lane house from her early years. Old Mrs. Borrow mentions her
in her letters as 'the child' and 'Lucy,' and the latter in her
correspondence calls Mrs. Borrow 'mother.' . . . It was in the garden of
Miss Brightwell's house in Surrey Street, Norwich, that the only
_photograph_ existing of Mr. Borrow was taken by her brother 'Tom' in
1848. This picture is now so faded that it has defied all attempts to
reproduce it in this book." The fact is that Dr. Knapp was refused the
use of the photograph, which was not taken by Tom Brightwell, but by Mr.
Pulley, a solicitor, of the firm of Field, Son, & Pulley. This picture
is now the property of Mrs. Simms Reeve, of Norwich and Brancaster Hall.
Her own portrait as a girl is one of several separate figures framed
together, Borrow occupying a place in the top row. Fortunately, by the
courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Simms Reeve, this interesting portrait of
Borrow, when he was forty-five years of age, has now been reproduced, and
it is, perhaps, the most valuable item in this souvenir, it also is lent
by Mrs. Simms Reeve for the temporary collection of Borrow relics in
Norwich Castle Museum. When he came to Norwich in these later days
Borrow used to lodge at Mrs. Church's, in Lady Lane, off Bethel Street,
known as Ivy House, and much frequented by theatrical people, now adapted
to be a Dispensary. A grand-daughter of Borrow's friend W. Bodham Donne
wrote me, in 1902, that "Borrow once lodged at Ivy Cottage, Lady's Lane,
where a dear old Miss Donne was living." From Lady Lane it is only a few
hundred yards to the well-loved little house in Willow Lan