Such was the force which, twenty years later, led to the
destruction of the New Zealand Provincial Councils.'
The old war-horse was not neighing for the fray, that being all over; he
was just putting his footnote to a piece of history he had fashioned. It
suggested another. The Duke of Newcastle was concerned in the drawing up
of the Canadian constitution. He informed the author of the New Zealand
one, that he had been largely indebted to it. Mention of the Duke brought
a smile on Sir George's lips, but he had doubts whether he should divulge
the cause.
'You know,' the reminiscence ran, 'I used, when in England, to visit the
Duke of Newcastle at Clumber. I was there, a member of a party, on a wet
day when we were cooped up in the house, unable to find occupation.
Towards afternoon, everybody being in despair, I proposed, "Why not have
some cock-fighting?" Not the illegal cock-fighting of course, but the
nursery-room style, where you have your hands tied in front of your
knees, and try to turn an opponent over with your toes. My proposal was
received with delight, and I suppose half a dozen of the leading men of
England were that afternoon kicking their heels in the air.'
Sir George could catch laughter, when a burden really did rest upon his
acts--catch it, to carry the burden away.
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