seemed a snip, fizzled out at the last moment, as Lady — was too “broke” to afford such a luxury as myself. This was the real reason, the pretext being that her cubs were paying visits to friends.
‘Another billet in Somerset also “ran amok”, so I got bored and decided to go to Germany, and master (or at any rate acquaint myself superficially with) its uncouth Teutonic tongue.
‘By the bye, on the strength of my Gallic scion of the nobility it was reported in Wimbledon that I was going out to India as tutor with a young English Duke – “Sic fama volat et crescit eundo.”
‘I am starting for Germany – Frankfurt a/M. – on Monday via the Hook, and expect to stay there about seven weeks. I am going to friends – a very jolly old house – about three miles out, and as there will be a lot doing in Frankfurt (including myself) I ought to make things lively. My greatest pang is that, when last I went to Germany, I never set eyes on a girl whom I did not do my best to forget at once. Still, the gods may be kinder now.
‘By the bye, “She” is coming to stay in Oxford again in October – you will doubtless gather to whom I am referring, if you found me as unbearable about Eights Week as Ridley and other cold-blooded prosaics appear to have done.
‘However, enough of myself, e’er you are quite nauseated by my egotism. What are you going to do? How about the fair one in Paris?
‘By the bye, if you have not yet read Diana, do so at once – it is very fine. I am going to take several Meredith with me to read in Germany.
‘I have been working (more or less) for the past month, and playing tennis nearly every day, but am getting very bored with England and anxious to get away. I saw Jim Gilkison the other day. His people have taken a shooting up in Forfar, and he wants me to go up and shoot the wily grouse (or at any rate pose as your murderous sportsman), but I had to refuse as I shall not be back.
‘My address in Frankfurt will be: c/o Herr Bartmann-Lüdicke, Riederhöfe, Frankfurt a/M., in case you feel magnanimous enough to answer this letter.
‘Ever thine,
‘PHILIP NAIRN.’
The lady of Eights Week was more than a transient attraction. It were unprofitable, besides impertinent, to speculate on what might have been. She inspired the most perfect of his poems.
Three weeks later he writes from Frankfurt:
‘August 24th, 1905.
‘As you have, in a spirit of just retaliation, not deigned to answer the letter of your grovelling friend, I do myself the pain of writing to you yet again.
‘I am fairly well satisfied with Germany, there are many worse places. I got fairly well fed up by my journey here. I had eleven hours in the train feeling like a bottle of medicine, ‘ to be well shaken while being taken.’ This is a very jolly old house of twelfth century, with a ripping garden, about two miles out of Frankfurt. The Palmengarten here and the Opera are bully – I saw Verdi’s Aida the other night, well sung and staged. I should go every night if the Germans did not habitually turn in by 10 p.m., and we are out about three miles from the Operahaus. I was over at Homburg the other day, in the Taunus Mountains, no end of a flick place. Beauty is rare. However, I met a rather jolly girl yesterday, who is staying an hour’s walk from here across the country, and I find I can always learn a foreign tongue better from a pretty girl. Ireland is, however, in no danger. I am making vast progress in German, and shall be quite sorry to leave here, which I do in about a month. Where are you?
‘Ever yours,
‘P. S. N.’
The next two letters belong to the beginning of his fourth year, when most of his friends of the year senior to his own had gone down:
‘21, MICHAEL ST.
‘Friday, October 20th, 1905.
‘My Dear Old Man,
‘What the blazes can have happened to you? Where are you and what are you doing? Moreover, when are you taking your degree and why have you not written to me? Are you at Wren’s or are you in love?
‘These are just a few of the questions I should like answered.
‘Here I am in Oxford once more, where the cold is damnable, and the place deserted by most of those tried old friends whose footsteps resounded erstwhile on the paving of Cornmarket Street.
‘Pot and MacB. were here a day or two ago, previous to a three-months sojourn in Hanover – tomorrow I believe they are contemplating giving a 21ster (pray note the gibe) to the marine denizens of the North Sea.
‘Milly is reported due here tonight at 8.10.
‘Sid Field is reported assiduously polishing a high stool in a Leamington office. Duggy Graham is once more here (at Marcon’s Hall) and Maurice ably adorns the Presidential Chair.
‘The G— is married and H— (my God!) I still detest.
‘Ever yours,
‘PHILIP S. NAIRN.’
‘OXFORD UNION SOCIETY.
‘November 5th, 1905.
‘My Dear Herrick,
‘I am rejoiced to hear that we meet again at Philippi on the 9th inst. Can’t you make it more than a flying visit? Of course you understand that you will put up at the hotel – 21, Michael St – so many people drop in that we have had to christen the diggs “St Michael’s Hotel” – less charitable people may designate it – the pub.
‘I suppose you are working very hard; so am I. One H— don and I are at loggerheads, and from rather doubtful collections he is piling on the weekly tale of essays, in the idea that I am more ignorant than I should be – a year off schools. A sublime error on his part, except in the matter of constitutional history, which makes me inclined to spew up the little knowledge of it I possess.
‘P. is chucking slice-eating: a good thing for him, as he was acquiring fresh vices in Chichester – a most banausic spot, in which the only society to be found was in the local bars. He and W— are going in for the consular service. I am going to have a slap at the Egyptian Civil, but doubt whether I have any chance, as they will probably plough me over eyes.
‘Do you know Ernest Dowson’s poems? John Long has just brought out a new 5s. edition. I like his poems immensely.
‘I went with Duggy Graham to hear Yvette Guilbert last night. She is magnificent – if you have a chance, don’t fail to see her. I wish to heaven I could hear her sing that portion of her repertoire which I fear did not pass the Vice-Chancellor’s blue pencil.
‘Tonight I am going to the Ouds to hear one of the “Follies” at a smoking concert. I am going as my Twin’s guest. It is quite useful his being on the Ouds.
‘Ever yours,
‘P. S. N.’
Nairn, like most of his friends, worked prodigiously hard in the months preceding his schools, but he also kept up a wonderfully good average of reading both in term time and in the vacation for a man of such varied interests
