. I went up with Low to Colnaghi’s & Co this afternoon about the Grant picture and we were met by a courteous gentleman who said that he expected the book-keeper in a few minutes and that he would see to us. I explained why I wanted to see the picture and we then waited until he who kept the books arrived. He was not nearly so courteous after I had answered the question ‘Did I want to buy the picture’ in the negative. To begin with he had to make the distressing announcement that though they had bought it in 1895 they had not yet sold it, he squashed the Hogarth idea and rather amused me by saying that ‘we don’t call it by Hogarth but by Hayman or Highmore or one of that School’. The picture was away for the moment but they said that they would get it to Pall Mall and that if I came up then I could see Mr Colnaghi and arrange about photographing it for reproduction. We bowed and were bowed out. I wish that I had ┬ú50 to buy the picture for the House!…
Gow gave the Bug Soc Committee a ‘play’ this afternoon and we spent afternoon School shifting cases etc up in the old Lecture Room. Ward is exhibiting the mummified cat and rat which were found in Ashburnham House. I had never seen them before. Most gruesome round the cat’s neck is a leather collar and a name plate which I must get cleaned as far as we could decipher it (it was black!) we made out ‘ddel’ suggested of course Liddell! I think if it turns out to be so and I write a label ‘Dr Liddel’s Cat and Lord John Thynne’s rat’ it will have a pleasing effect.