Wednesday Nov 30.
Off to Malvern, by favour of Mr. Lane’s driving, at eight in the morning. Slipped gently into the house, & presently into the kitchen, to find out whether Mr. Boyd had had his breakfast. Jane[1] just going to take it up to him. So I ventured to precede it.
He seemed pleased to see me, & I had a happy day with him. He “assured me” that Miss H M’s coming was by no means his wish—but Mrs. Boyd’s & Annie’s. The annoyance is wearing off—& perhaps I may go to Ruby Cottage while she is there—after all. We read passages from Gregory’s apologetick,[2]—comparing his marks with mine, in different copies,—& came to the conclusion, that our tastes certainly do agree!! And so they do.
I began to write my Caterina in Annie’s album. Got home at a little after five—& too lazy to write further particulars.
1. The Boyd’s maid.
2. There are two marginal notes in WG dated 30 November; one on p. 3 refers to a passage of 50 lines, the other on p. 6, 23 lines. In a long note at the commencement of this Oration, E.B.B. said that the passage on p. 3 “has great dignity & harmony;” and that the second passage contained “a series of similes in the Homeric manner: (how novel & beautiful Gregory’s similes usually are!)”