The Hallward case is still sub judice. Barrington-Ward found when he went to Gow that Hallward had been first and Gow (which is strictly a breach of etiquette) had heard him. Hallward seems however to have damaged his case by only telling Gow part of the truth or rather only telling him he was had up for ragging in the 2nd Game. Barrington-Ward of course told Gow all the circumstances. Gow remarked which is I think true that ‘a jury would not convict’ but still that that wasn’t necessarily right. Put simply the case is this, the boy is a nuisance and a fool and badly wants a tanning but it is doubtful whether the Law is strong enough to reach him.
Barrington-Ward and myself got leave off prayers from Gow and went to lunch with the Foxes at Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead. A brother of W. Fox is presenting a collection of birds to the School and we went up more or less officially to see them. Only Mrs Fox, a quaint motherly person, W.F. Fox, his brother and Miss Scott (daughter of Sir [Arthur] G[uillum Scott]) who is just engaged to W. F. Fox. She is exceedingly pretty and I don’t think I have ever seen anyone more radiantly happy. Conversation almost entirely Westminster at lunch and afterwards we looked at the birds, which far exceeded our expectations and are an extremely fine collection stuffed by the very best people and collected by an expert; a collection any museum would be pleased to accept. The giver of the collection is starting for Nigeria tomorrow and will only be back on leave for short periods for some time to come, he wishes the gift to be in the nature of a loan but practically a gift and he gives it because of his respect for the School (he is himself a Harrovian) and what it did for his brother. It is rather difficult to say thanks to a person buy I managed as we were going to thank him as nicely as I could for them on behalf of the School. W.F. Fox, Miss Scott, Barrington-Ward and myself then took a taxi and drove to Vincent Square and got there about a quarter to four. Fox’s great source of amusement was to walk Miss Scott up and down the railing side and listen to the comments of the ‘scis’ on a very vivid emerald green dress which she was wearing ‘Good Old Ireland’, ‘Ireland’ etc rising to a perfect babel to our amusement!…