It was quite easy to guarantee to find purchasers or hirers of
the cottages put up by competitors. The competitor, therefore, could not
lose his money or tie it up for very long, and he was very likely able
to win a prize in one of the various categories. The greater number of
cottages were planned for competitions in which the cost was limited to
L150, for that was my ideal of the price for a cottage; and if a
competitor was sure to get his L150 back and might also get a prize
either of L150, or L100, or L50, he was in clover. But I am not out
to describe the success of the Cheap Cottages Exhibition, but only to
throw light on the character of the Duke of Devonshire. I asked the Duke
to open the Exhibition for me, and this he did in a speech full of
excellent good sense. He obeyed _ex animo_ my direction of "No
flowers by request." I remember, however, being somewhat disconcerted as
we went down in the special train by a remark which he made to one of
the Directors of the Garden City, who was saying, very properly, the
usual things about how pleased the Company had been to help with my
scheme. The Duke, with a loud laugh, replied with what was meant to be a
perfectly good-tempered joke, "And a jolly good advertisement for your
company you must have found it.
Pages:
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573