IV
Part of Letter from Richard Venables, of St Austin's, to his fatherMajor-General Sir Everard Venables, V.C., K.C.M.G.:
... So you see it was really his fault. The Emperor of Germany has noright to come and dig holes in our best wicket. Take a parallel case.Suppose some idiot of a fellow (not that Uncle John's that, of course,but you know what I mean) came and began rooting up your azaleas.Wouldn't you want to say something cutting? I will apologize to UncleJohn, if you like; but still, I do think he might have gone somewhereelse if he really wanted to dig. So you see, etc., etc.