the days of my life

第10部分 (第5/7頁)

hs。　We　galloped　up　to　Government　House；　where　the　regiment　was　drawn　up　on　the　lawn；　and　as　soon　as　the　carriage　stopped　the　band　struck　up　“God　save　the　Queen”　and　salutes　were　fired　from　the　fort。　Then　all　the　grandees　of　Maritzburg　came　forward　and　paid　their　respects　to　the　Governor；　and　at　last　we　were　left　alone　to　clean　ourselves　as　best　we　could。

The　Government　House　is　a　very　pretty　building；　not　nearly　so　large　as　the　Cape　Government　House；　but　far　from　small。　I；　who　have　to　look　after　it；　find　it　too　large。　I　have　a　large　bedroom　upstairs　and　my　office　in　the　Executive　Council　chamber。　The　day　after　we　arrived　the　swearing…in　ceremony　was　held；　in　a　room　where　the　Legislative　Council　sit　in　the　Public　Offices　building。　It　was　a　very　swell　ceremony　indeed；　and　I　had　to　go　through　an　extraordinary　amount　of　scraping　and　bowing；　presenting　and　pocketing；　or　trying　to　pocket；　enormous　addresses；　missions；　etc。；　etc。　After　it　followed　a　levee；　which　tried　my　patience　considerably；　for　these　people　came　so　thick　and　fast　that　I　had　no　time　to　decipher　their；　for　the　most　part；　infamously　written　cards；　so　I　had　to　shout　out　their　names　at　haphazard。　However；　that　came　to　an　end　too　at　last；　and　we　drove　off　amidst　loud　hurrahs。

I　am　at　last　clear　on　one　point：　I　am　not　private　secretary。　The　Chief　was　talking　the　other　night　to　Beaumont　about　me　and　told　him　he　had　a　very　good　opinion　of　me　and　thought　I　should　do　very　well；　but　that　he　had　always　intended　to　have　an　older　man　to　help　him　at　first；　though　who　it　is　going　to　be　does　not　seem　clear。　He　wants　somebody　who　can　go　and　talk　to　all　these　people　as　a　man　of　their　own　standing；　which　I　cannot　do。　He　also　wants　someone　who　has　some　experience　of　this　sort　of　work。　I　am　not　in　the　least　disappoi