[Illustration:  Photo. by Johnston & Hoffmann Hall & Anderson’s premises, at the corner of Park Street]

Many of the present generation must recollect seeing the patriarchal looking gentleman with a long flowing white beard, perched on a charpoy every day just outside his stables.  He did remarkably well at his new occupation, as he was able to build the two houses 39 and 40, Theatre Road.  Returning to Harington Street, I may mention that the houses Nos. 2, 2/1, and 2/2, besides 8, Little Russell Street, were all built in the compound of the old house referred to as No. 2.  Going further down to the end of the street on the left-hand side we arrive at what used to be No. 8, a very old and popular boarding house, for many years in the occupation of Mrs. Monk, upon which has been erected by Mr. Galstaun what is called the Harington Mansions, and on the opposite side the very handsome house owned and occupied by Sir Rajendra Nath Mookerjee, both of which were designed by my old lamented friend Ted Thornton; there are thirty flats in the Mansions, and I fancy they are always fully occupied.

THEATRE ROAD.

No. 1 was, at one time, occupied by Sir Richard Markby, Judge of the High Court, during part of his stay in Calcutta, at another by a chummery consisting of Jim Henderson, Keith Douglas and Charles Brock, and afterwards it was let out as a boarding house to various people.

The present Royal Calcutta Turf Club premises were in the occupation for a considerable period of Sir Richard Garth, Chief Justice of Bengal, father of the present Sir William Garth, and he and Lady Garth were great favourites and very popular in Calcutta society.  They used to entertain a good deal and give a ball once every season.  Very pleasant affairs they always were.  I recollect on one occasion I had engaged one of the Misses Searle previously alluded to for a valse, and when I went to claim it I found her seated on the verandah in conversation with Sir Richard, who, when I announced my errand, at once chipped in and said that I must have made some mistake as it was undoubtedly his dance, and nothing I could say would convince him to the contrary.  The fact was he was having a good time and did not wish to be disturbed, so recognising the position I complacently retired.  I may incidentally mention that Sir Richard was a well-known, ardent devotee of the fair sex.  When he retired he wrote a pamphlet called “A Few Plain Truths about India.”  It caused a great sensation at the time, but is now quite unobtainable.  A secondhand copy would be interesting not only for its material but for the price it would fetch.