A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
MR. HAROLD NICOLSON could be relied on to collect most of the best anecdotes—some of them already classic—about Lord Curzon. From the selection contained in his second article in The Times this week few of any moment are missing, and of these some no doubt will be found duly in their places when the full volume appears. I see that Mr. Nicolson refers to the birthday Lord Curzon celebrated during the Lausanne Conference in 1923. I say "celebrated" advisedly, for though most of the obser- vance was the work of others the Marquis was persuaded in one particular to pass from the passive to the active. He was induced, in short, to go to a Lausanne cinema. It was an establishment where the floor was of concrete and the continuous consumption of oranges was en r4le. It enlarged Lord Curzon's experience of life substantially. His attitude, so far as it could be discerned in the dark- ness, was statuesque. Through the performance he re- mained almost mute. In the car, going back to his hotel, he ejaculated, " Incredible. Incredible. I would never have believed it." Then the humour of the affair took hold of him and his three companions (one of them told me the story) simultaneously, and the vehicle rocked with four persons' prolonged and inextinguish- able laughter. I shall search for this with some interest in Mr. Nicolson's pages.
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