journey from Jerez to Scotland must have been full of interest and
excitement for my father. Our party numbered about thirty of all ages,
down to a couple of babies, my sister's children. My father found it more
practicable to arrange for what was then called a family train to take us
through Spain and France. We travelled during the day and got shunted at
night. Sometimes we slept in the carriages; other times at hotels. In
either case, as a rule, there were frequent and--for a time--hard-fought
battles among us young ones of both sexes for choice of sleeping places.

At meal times there were often considerable scrambles. We all seemed to
have the same tastes and we all wanted the same things. My parents (who,
poor dears, had to put up with us, and the Spanish nurses and servants,
who had never left their own homes before, and who, the farther we got,
seemed to think that they were never going to return to them) at last
came to the conclusion that any attempts at punishing us were without
satisfactory results, and that appealing to our love for them (for it was
no use appealing to our love for each other) and our honour paid better.

My elder sisters and brothers, who were in the party, knew English. I did
not. Not a word except two, and those were "all right," which,
immediately on arrival at Dover and all the way to London, I called out
to every person I met.

On reaching Charing Cross the party was to have a meal previous to
starting up to Scotland. The station restaurant manager was somewhat
surprised when my father informed him that he wanted a table for about
thirty persons, which, however, he arranged for. The Spanish nurses and
women-servants were dressed after the style of their own country. They,
of course, wore no hats, their hair being beautifully done with flowers
at the side (which had to be provided for them whether we wished it or
not), and characteristic shawls graced their shoulders. So that the
little party at the table was quite an object of interest, not only to
those others who were dining at the time, but also to a great many
ordinary passengers who practically were blocking the entrance to the
restaurant in order to obtain a glimpse of the foreigners.

All went well until the chef, with the huge sirloin of beef upon the
travelling table, appeared upon the scene. No sooner did he begin to
carve and the red, juicy gravy of the much under-done beef appeared, than
the nurses rose in a body, droppe