Impossible Life of Mary Benson, The
Page 32
p.257 Ben’s own sitting room at Tremans Description from Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 pp.45–6 and Benson, E. F., Mother, p.165
p.257 as though she were talking into a telephone cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.174
p.257 ‘it is very funny to hear this done’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.116
p.257 two tones in prayer cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.174
p.258 ‘the discomfort, the silly idiotic responses’ cited in Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.26,
p.258 ‘I get no good out of such a service’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.257
p.258 ‘Are you coming to church, Arthur?’ Conversation reported in Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.68
p.258 interspersed with many short walks Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.54
p.259 destroying the barrier. Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.49
p.259 Lucy held a tea-dance on the lawn Ben. MS Benson 3/32 fol 8
p.259 sixty people signed the visitors’ book Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.53
p.259 dwarfish figures dressed in brown Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.16
p.259 a spiritualist in Croydon Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.338
p.260 showed their uvulas Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.28
p.260 ‘an ear and the rim of a cheek’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.222
p.260 ‘But it’s astonishing!’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 pp.53–4
p.260 ‘listening to bagpipes’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.69
p.261 the ‘picturesque’ H. E. Luxmoore Benson, E. F., Final Edition, pp.26–7
p.261 a Cambridge undergraduate Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.26; Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.217
p.261 ‘such a dear boy’ Ben. MS Benson 3/38 fol 117
p.261 ‘He is a cheerful creature’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.176
p.261 ‘the homo sexual question’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.195
p.261 ‘A footman! My!’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.138
p.262 the conversational flow of Lady Charles Beresford. . . is reproduced by Fred Benson in Benson, E. F., Mother, p.144
p.263 ‘fine arguments’ Ben. MS Benson 3/32 fol 99
p.263 The old word and literary games cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.149
p.263 To Whom Did Fred Write After Dinner? cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.149
p.264 ‘remarkably good – very brisk’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.127
p.264 ‘great and gentle decisiveness’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.15
p.264 ‘Edward the Caresser’ Wilson, A. N., After the Victorians, p.6
p.265 ‘Most people pray to the Eternal Father’ Wilson, A. N., After the Victorians, p.4
p.265 ‘Apotheosis of Buttons’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, pp.108–9
p.265 ‘It is much more genial’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.109
p.265 ‘tyranny of wealth’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.108
p.266 ‘I wish I was in the middle of it all’ Ben. MS Benson 3/38 fol 125
p.266 ‘Now you speak of it I do remember’ Smyth, Ethel, Impressions that Remained, Vol. II, p.190
p.266 ‘keeping the stickiest ball nimbly rolling’ Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.22
p.267 ‘could string a few nonsense words’ Wilson, A. N., After the Victorians, p.36
p.267 ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ Details of the process from Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.147; Wilson, A. N., After the Victorians pp.35–6
p.267 ‘I should like to make some younger friends’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.117
p.267 ‘a carefully locked and guarded strong room’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.7
p.267 ‘a thing per se to be ashamed of’ ACB, Vol. 178 (December 1924-1925), p.15
p.268 ‘never been in vital touch’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.297
p.268 ‘on the edge of life’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.5
p.268 ‘on the edge of Paradise’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.243
p.268 Arthur Benson Views Paradise. . . Extracts from Arthur Benson’s diary: May 1904, May 1911, August 1904, cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.149, 268, 122
p.269 From A. C. Benson’s novel Beside Still Waters Benson, A. C., Beside Still Waters, p.199
p.269 ‘Your brother Fred is personal’ Benson, E. F. ed., Henry James, Letters to A. C. Benson, p.57
p.270 sold over 10,000 copies Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.160
p.270 the ‘greedy things’ would run off Benson, E. F., Mother, p.58
p.270 ‘he has acted so hastily’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.131
p.270 a Dominican convent in Gloucestershire Ben. MS Benson 3/38 fol 128
p.272 Hugh was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest The process of his conversion is given in Benson, E. F., Mother, pp.168–9; Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.151
p.272 ‘special sadness’ Ben. MS Benson 3/38 fol 128
p.272 ‘We know you are ours still’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.152
p.272 ‘safe in a cassock’ Smyth, Ethel, Impressions that Remained, Vol. II, p.191
p.273 ‘sharp insignificant little scug’ Benson, E. F., Final Edition p.27
p.273 ‘Rubbish!’ under her breath Benson, E. F., Final Edition p.32
p.273 ‘Dear me, how pleasant’ Benson, E. F., Mother, pp.170–1. Either Ben or Fred misquotes – the original has ‘amusing’ rather than ‘pleasant’.
p.274 Father Hugh Benson is encountered. . . Hichens, Robert, Yesterday, pp.164–5
p.274 ‘in furious haste’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.207
p.275 an Ode for the Eton Chronicle cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.86
p.275 tens of thousands of words a month Entries in his diary include references to November 1910 184,000 words; 80,000 in two months early in 1925; 50,000 in twenty-five working days during April 1922.
p.275 some three thousand letters a year cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.72
p.275 Arthur sat every day Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.23; Williams, David, Genesis and Exodus, p.157
p.275 ‘those reflective volumes’ Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.23
p.275 ‘charm’ and ‘loveability’ Benson, E. F. (ed.), Henry James, Letters to A. C. Benson, p.6, 14, 23
p.275 ‘wanting in grip’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.63
p.275 ‘straight to the heart of a few hundred’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.170
p.275 large numbers of importunate widows and spinsters cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.273
p.275 his brother had two personalities Benson, E. F., Final Edition, pp.23–4
p.276 ‘In my books I am solemn’ Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.24
p.276 Punch ran a cartoon Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.378
p.276 ‘I think it’s hard that with 3 brothers’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.378
p.276 ‘the real difficulty is’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.374
p.276 ‘the one solace of a Benson’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.141
p.276 The Benson mind cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p
.14
p.276 ‘odd outburst of books’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.359
p.276 ‘One gets to know you in a double way’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.139
p.277 the books gave her any joy at all Benson, E. F., Mother, p.176
p.277 ‘She liked “bits” in most volumes’ Benson, E. F., Mother, p.176
p.277 ‘most trusted and eager critic’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 pp.21–2
p.277 ‘laid her fingers infallibly on weaker episodes’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.70
p.277 most frequently cited author Fowler, H.G. and F.G, The King’s English (3rd edn, 1930), pp.360–2. My thanks to Andrew May for pointing this out.
p.277 admitted was ‘twaddle’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.134
p.277 ‘a thumping impossible incident’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.139
p.277 ‘I am rather tired of smart people’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.139
p.278 ‘suppressed half a dozen books’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.70
p.278 each attempt a parody of one of the others Benson, E. F., Final Edition, pp.102–4
p.280 books from which he wished never to be separated Benkowitz, Miriam, Frederick Rolfe: Baron Corvo, pp.182–3
p.280 a walking tour Benkowitz, Miriam, Frederick Rolfe: Baron Corvo, p.184
p.280 ‘like the spirit over chaos’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.191
p.280 ‘very silent and deaf at dinner’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.190
p.281 ‘You haven’t got it at all right’ Ben. MS Benson 3/38 fol 125
p.281 collaborate on ‘a really startling novel’ Benkowitz, Miriam, Frederick Rolfe: Baron Corvo, p.188
p.281 The project went horribly awry Benkowitz, Miriam, Frederick Rolfe: Baron Corvo, p.198,
p.281 Frederick Rolfe Paints a Picture. . . Rolfe, Frederick, The Desire & Pursuit of the Whole, p.41
p.282 ‘perpetual feast of little, simple, ancient homely beauties’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.131
p.282 a busy – even chaotic – morning Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, pp.348–9
Chapter Fifteen
p.285 ‘a widowed mother and her daughter’ Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.13
p.285 Maggie bridled Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.15
p.285 ‘I have given up chasing turkeys’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.369
p.285 ‘nothing the matter except tiredness’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.367
p.286 ‘It’s odd, when one gets tired’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.212
p.286 ‘My dear and Precious Person’ Asquith, Betty, The Bensons, p.79
p.286 ‘I think one gets less elastic’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.372
p.286 demands for attention of an invalid child A point made by Vicinus, Martha, Intimate Friends, p.140, also in Benson, E. F., Mother, p.178
p.287 ‘Let 20 be the maximum grumbler’ Benson, E. F., Mother, p.163
p.287 Maggie’s claim that Tremans was ‘a republic’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.198
p.287 ‘The fact really is that Lucy’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.174, and Watkins, Gwen, E. F. Benson, p.69
p.287 ‘fusses about detail, paroxysms of anxiety’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.369
p.288 ‘a piece of old and frayed elastic’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.357
p.288 She tried to strangle herself Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.164
p.288 almost paralysed by depression Benson, E. F., Mother, p.178
p.289 ‘I wanted to see you again first’ Benson, E. F., Mother, p.181
p.289 ‘with a fixed and deadly gaze’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.165
p.290 ‘underlying darknesses and vilenesses’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.392
p.290 spirits of dreadful beasts and demons Benson, E. F., Mother, p.181
p.290 At dinner Maggie did not utter a word Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.166
p.291 An expert in such matters Oppenheim, Janet, ‘Shattered Nerves’, pp.33, 107
p.291 ‘We are in very deep waters’ Benson, E. F., Mother, p.182
p.291 ‘or at all events for as long as I can stand it’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, pp.167–8
p.291 Arthur signed the committal order cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.220
p.291 ‘without any shrinking of the spirit’ Benson, E. F., Mother, p.183
p.291 ‘simply beyond words’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.169
p.291 her fears that the demons would return Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.169
p.291 calm enough to sit knitting Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 9
p.291 convinced that the Sisters were trying to poison her cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.222
p.292 ‘Something seemed to crumble’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.222
p.293 She sent for him several times Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 16
p.293 ‘Your lovingest Mother’ Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 13
p.294 content herself with written reports Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 9ff
p.294 pages of poisonous hatred Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.127–8
p.294 ‘satanical’ Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.194
p.294 a result of demonic possession Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.199
p.294 ‘She surpassed anything she has ever said before’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.197
p.294 ‘No storms are more terrible’ Smyth, Ethel, Impressions that Remained, Vol. II, p.190
p.295 A Letter to Maggie Benson. . . cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.193
p.295 in a way Maggie herself subconsciously desired Vicinus, Martha, Intimate Friends, p.141 argues this case
p.295 ‘I have come to the conclusion’ Ben. MS Benson 3/32 fol 79
p.296 ‘Arthur is the great problem’ Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 60
p.296 Arthur never entirely shook off his depression Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, pp.225ff; Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 9ff
p.296 From A. C. Benson’s novel Beside Still Waters Benson, A. C., Beside Still Waters, p.48
p.297 ‘Miss Benson takes so little interest’ Ben. MS Benson 3/31 fol 154
p.297 ‘nothing thrives here well’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.401
p.297 ‘O NETTIE, YOU’ Ben. MS Benson 3/32 fol 30
p.297 Ben was at last permitted to visit Ben. MS Benson 3/32 fol 99
p.298 ‘the Real one’ Ben. MS Benson 3/33 fol 71
p.298 ‘the Real Miss Gourlay’ Ben. MS Benson 3/33 fol 144
p.298 ‘My dearest, I don’t forget’ Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, p.402
p.299 ‘The silence, the gap’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 pp.75–6
p.300 ‘the love I had and have’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.9
p.300 was afraid to use some stationery Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.196
p.300 At £800 a year Financial details given in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.194
p.301 an odd ménage Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.249
p.301 ‘in flannels of inconceivable shabbines’s Benson, E. F., Final Edition, p.89
p.301 ‘Oh, isn’t it fun?’ Fred sums up Hugh’s character with this phrase in Benson, E. F., Mother, p.201
p.301 he consulted a faith healer Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.192
p.302 kept him from visiting Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.192
p.302 standing in for the Master of Magdalene Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.308
p.302 Maggie calmly left the Bartons’ house Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.308; Asquith, Betty, The Bensons, p.86; Benson, E. F., Mother, p.215; Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.200
p.303 ‘an Archduke was assassinated yesterday’ Fred Benson gives details of this conversation in Benson, E.F, Final Edition, pp.115–16; As We Were, pp.341–2; Mother p.216
p.304 The Duchess is Disturbed after Dinner This passage is based on an incident given in Benson, E. F., Final Edition, pp.27–8
p.305 ‘I personally am against war’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.303
p.305 ‘I was made to be of use in peace’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.201
p.305 ‘really rather ashamed of him’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.311
p.305 ‘If he cannot, it must be only aggravating’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.319
p.305 ‘a horrid little fellow’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.326
p.305 ‘It is extremely like Armageddon’ Benson, E. F., Final Edition p.118-19; Benson, E. F., Mother, pp.219–20
p.306 ‘not for drinky but for drunky’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.297
p.306 ‘I tell Hugh exactly what I think’ Benson, A. C., Unpublished Memoir of Mary Benson, Ben. MS Benson adds 12/3 p.76
p.307 Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson’s Plan for a Novel. . . Martindale, C. C., The Life of Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, Vol. II, Appendix VII, p.465
p.307 ‘There is nothing to mourn for’ cited in Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.334
p.307 the cloud seemed to lift from her mind Benson, A. C., Maggie Benson, pp.409–10
p.308 ‘Freedom, and Life, and Joy’ cited in Masters, Brian, The Life of E. F. Benson, p.217
p.308 ‘from mysterious unnamed people’ Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.319
p.308 ‘the most frightful bore’ Benson, E. F., Mother, p.229
p.309 Madame de Nottbeck wished to give Arthur Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, pp.327–31
p.309 he had earned, writing included, just £20,000 Newsome, David, On the Edge of Paradise, p.324