My predecessor, Rev. Howard Gill, realizing the necessity of a central building where the various Church works could be concentrated, and where also much-needed rest and recreation rooms for young men might be established, had ventilated the idea of a Church House. There is no house or room of any kind connected with the Embassy Church. An influential meeting was held in the Mansion House in London in furtherance of the project, but owing to the debt on the church nothing had been done. As this debt had been paid I felt we might move forward, and consulted Lord and Lady Dufferin on the subject. The difficulty was to commence a fund when so large a sum (about £12,000) would be required. Their Excellencies, however, advised me to go forward, and promised me all the assistance they could. Lord Dufferin kindly wrote me a letter which I published with an appeal. A short time after I was told by Lady Dufferin that they had decided to allow a public sale in the Embassy on behalf of the scheme. This proved to be a great success. Lady Dufferin presided over a stall assisted by the ladies of the Embassy, and the Ladies Blackwood conducted a fish pond which was largely patronized. The “clew” of the sale was an exhibition in a private room of all the “curios” belonging to Lord Dufferin, including a gilt filagree stand and drinking cup, which had belonged originally to the King of Burma. His Excellency took the most lively interest in his own “show,” and never tired going round to explain the various objects to the visitors. The nett result of the sale was over 27,000 francs, and the fund was now fairly started; it amounted to between seven and eight thousand pounds when I left Paris. The house can now be purchased, as the balance required can easily be borrowed.
The thoughtful personal kindness I and my wife received from Lord and Lady Dufferin is beyond words to express. I may only give one or two examples. There is no residence attached to the Church, and as I was living some distance away it was very difficult to get back after the eight o’clock Communion Service on Sunday mornings for breakfast, and be down again for Sunday School (held in the Church) at 9.30. Lady Dufferin at once recognized this, and kindly offered me breakfast on Sunday mornings at the Embassy. The rest was most helpful, and I used to look forward to my meal in the pleasant gallery looking out upon the garden—and an occasional chat with Nowell, who waited upon me—as a most pleasant break in the constant work of Sunday. Nowell was the confidential servant of Lord Dufferin for many years, who went with him to Canada in 1872, and had been with him in all his different posts.
A rather amusing incident once happened. The late Archbishop of York was staying at the Embassy, and we were invited to meet him at dinner on the Saturday evening. While I was at breakfast on Sunday morning he sent his servant down to ask me the way to the other English church!
In 1893-4 my wife had a most serious illness, and was confined to the house for some months. I can truly say that scarcely a day passed without Lady Dufferin coming in to see her, and often to sit with her for a considerable time. Even when His Majesty the King (then Prince of Wales) was in Paris, and lunching at the Embassy, she did not omit this kind office, but apologized for being late. Such kindness can never be rewarded or forgotten.
Our relations with the French were not at this time of the most cordial character, and I often feared that His Excellency had a good deal of anxiety that we knew nothing of—as, of course, we never spoke of “politics” at the Embassy. I once, however, ventured to say that I feared he had been passing through a troublous time, and he took and held my hand in his kind way and said: “My dear Noyes, when one has been through the anxieties of Canada and India, it is not so difficult to support the trouble here.”
THE MARCHIONESS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA.
But if the Embassy had its grave moments it had its gay ones too. One morning, quite early, I received a visit from apparently an old lady (really a very young one), who told me she was in great trouble. She seemed, however, very reluctant to explain, and said she would like to see my wife. As she was not down I proposed she could come later, or, if she preferred, see me in the Vestry, where I usually received such visits. After some demur she promised she would. I learned later in the day that it was one of the ladies from the Embassy—disguised.
She went from me to the Chancery, and equally deceived one of the Attachés. The “make up” was very clever, and I was quite deceived. We were dining at the Embassy the same evening, and His Excellency said, “I wish she had got a franc from you, I should have put it on my watch-chain.”
We had a very enjoyable Christmas party at the Embassy in (I think) 1894. Lady Dufferin had arranged for a sort of magnified charade, in which the family and most of the Attachés took part, and in which they “took off” one another. The scene representing the writing of a dispatch in the Chancery was most amusing, the peculiarities of the different secretaries were cleverly caricatured. I was brought into the play, with some other members of the Colony.