Reflections. I make another Good Joke. Am annoyed at theconstant serving-up of the "Blanc-Mange." Lupin expresses his opinionof Weddings. Lupin falls out with Daisy Mutlar.

　　November 16. -Woke about twenty times during the night, withterrible thirst. Finished off all the water in the bottle, as well as half thatin the jug. Kept dreaming also, that last night's party was a failure, andthat a lot of low people came without invitation, and kept chaffing andthrowing things at Mr. Perkupp, till at last I was obliged to hide him in thebox-room (which we had just discovered), with a bath-towel over him. Itseems absurd now, but it was painfully real in the dream. I had the samedream about a dozen times.

　　Carrie annoyed me by saying: "You know champagne never agreeswith you." I told her I had only a couple of glasses of it, having keptmyself entirely to port. I added that good champagne hurt nobody, andLupin told me he had only got it from a traveller as a favour, as thatparticular brand had been entirely bought up by a West-End club.

　　I think I ate too heartily of the "side dishes," as the waiter called them.

　　I said to Carrie: "I wish I had put those 'side dishes' ASIDE." Irepeated this, but Carrie was busy, packing up the teaspoons we hadborrowed of Mrs. Cummings for the party. It was just half-past eleven,and I was starting for the office, when Lupin appeared, with a yellowcomplexion, and said: "Hulloh! Guv., what priced head have you thismorning?" I told him he might just as well speak to me in Dutch. Headded: "When I woke this morning, my head was as big as Baldwin'sballoon." On the spur of the moment I said the cleverest thing I think Ihave ever said; viz.: "Perhaps that accounts for the paraSHOOTINGpains." We roared.

　　November 17. - Still feel tired and headachy! In the evening Gowingcalled, and was full of praise about our party last Wednesday. He saideverything was done beautifully, and he enjoyed himself enormously.

　　 Gowing can be a very nice fellow when he likes, but you never know howlong it will last. For instance, he stopped to supper, and seeing someBLANC-MANGE on the table, shouted out, while the servant was in theroom: "Hulloh! The remains of Wednesday?"November 18. - Woke up quite fresh after a good night's rest, and feelquite myself again. I am satisfied a life of going-out and Society is not alife for me; we therefore declined the invitation which we received thismorning to Miss Bird's wedding. We only met her twice at Mrs. James',and it means a present. Lupin said: "I am with you for once. To mymind a wedding's a very poor play. There are only two parts in it - thebride and bridegroom. The best man is only a walking gentleman. Withthe exception of a crying father and a snivelling mother, the rest areSUPERS who have to dress well and have to PAY for their insignificantparts in the shape of costly presents." I did not care for the theatricalslang, but thought it clever, though disrespectful.

　　I told Sarah not to bring up the BLANC-MANGE again for breakfast.

　　It seems to have been placed on our table at every meal since Wednesday.

　　Cummings came round in the evening, and congratulated us on the successof our party. He said it was the best party he had been to for many a year;but he wished we had let him know it was full dress, as he would haveturned up in his swallow-tails. We sat down to a quiet game of dominoes,and were interrupted by the noisy entrance of Lupin and Frank Mutlar.

　　Cummings and I asked them to join us. Lupin said he did not care fordominoes, and suggested a game of "Spoof." On my asking if it requiredcounters, Frank and Lupin in measured time said: "One, two, three; go!

　　Have you an estate in Greenland?" It was simply Greek to me, but itappears it is one of the customs of the "Holloway Comedians" to do thiswhen a member displays ignorance.

　　In spite of my instructions, that BLANC-MANGE was brought upagain for supper. To make matters worse, there had been an attempt todisguise it, by placing it in a glass dish with jam round it. Carrie askedLupin if he would have some, and he replied: "No second-hand goodsfor me, thank you." I told Carrie, when we were alone, if that BLANCMANGE were placed on the table again I should walk out of the house.

　　 November 19, Sunday. -A delightfully quiet day. In the afternoonLupin was off to spend the rest of the day with the Mutlars. He departedin the best of spirits, and Carrie said: "Well, one advantage of Lupin'sengagement with Daisy is that the boy seems happy all day long. Thatquite reconciles me to what I must confess seems an imprudentengagement."Carrie and I talked the matter over during the evening, and agreed thatit did not always follow that an early engagement meant an unhappymarriage. Dear Carrie reminded me that we married early, and, with theexception of a few trivial misunderstandings, we had never had a reallyserious word. I could not help thinking (as I told her) that half thepleasures of life were derived from the little struggles and small privationsthat one had to endure at the beginning of one's married life. Suchstruggles were generally occasioned by want of means, and often helped tomake loving couples stand together all the firmer.

　　Carrie said I had expressed myself wonderfully well, and that I wasquite a philosopher.

　　We are all vain at times, and I must confess I felt flattered by Carrie'slittle compliment. I don't pretend to be able to express myself in finelanguage, but I feel I have the power of expressing my thoughts withsimplicity and lucidness. About nine o'clock, to our surprise. Lupinentered, with a wild, reckless look, and in a hollow voice, which I mustsay seemed rather theatrical, said: "Have you any brandy?" I said: "No;but here is some whisky." Lupin drank off nearly a wineglassful withoutwater, to my horror.

　　We all three sat reading in silence till ten, when Carrie and I rose to goto bed. Carrie said to Lupin: "I hope Daisy is well?"Lupin, with a forced careless air that he must have picked up from the"Holloway Comedians," replied: "Oh, Daisy? You mean Miss Mutlar.

　　I don't know whether she is well or not, but please NEVER TOMENTION HER NAME AGAIN IN MY PRESENCE."