re that
such feeling is, by its very nature, always to a certain slight degree
reciprocal. He had a natural and unaffected _voice_, yet one with a
marked character; something like Tennyson's, which was even more
striking. Both were far removed from the now fashionable intonation,
which is the admiration and despair of American swells. It is only the
_fin de siecle_ form of the _demnition_ dialect of the Forties and the
_La-ard_ and _Lunnon_ of an earlier age.

Lord Lytton was generally invisible in the morning, sometimes after
lunch. In the evening he came out splendidly groomed, fresh as a rose,
and at dinner and after was as interesting as any of his books. He had
known "everybody" to a surprising extent, and had anecdotes fresh and
vivid of every one whom he had met. He loved music, and there was a lady
who sang old Spanish ballads with rare taste. I enjoyed myself
incredibly.

I may be excused for mentioning here that I sent a copy of the second
edition of my "Meister Karl's Sketch-Book" to Lord Lytton. No one but
Irving and Trubner had ever praised it. When Lord Lytton published
afterwards "Kenelm Chillingly," I found in it _three_ passages in which I
recognised beyond dispute others suggested by my own work. I do not in
the least mean that there was _any_ borrowing or taking beyond the mere
suggestion of thought. Why I think that Lord Lytton had these hints in
his mind is that he gave the name of Leland to one of the minor
characters in the book.

When I published a full edition of "Breitmann's Poems," he wrote me a
long letter criticising and praising the work, and a much longer and
closely written one, of seven pages, relating to my "Confucius and Other
Poems." I was subsequently invited to receptions at his house in London,
where I first met Browning, and had a long conversation with him. I saw
him afterwards at Mrs. Proctor's. This was the wife of Barry Cornwall,
whom I also saw. He was very old and infirm. I can remember when the
"Cornlaw Rhymes" rang wherever English was read.

As I consider it almost a duty to record what I can remember of Bulwer, I
may mention that one evening, at his house in London, he showed me and
others some beautiful old brass salvers in _repousse_ work, and how I
astonished him by describing the process, and declaring that I could
produce a _facsimile_ of any one of them in a day or two; to which
assertion hundreds to whom I have taught the art, as well as my "Ma