Monday. Jany. 23d.
How disappointed I am. H has been into my room to say that B is very adverse, & thinks me very unreasonable. I think her very unkind!— Well!—I wont go; & how much disappointed I am, I cant say; and yet perhaps after all, if I had gone, I might have been pained by something: Finished Baxter’s Saints Rest. Quite exquisite!-- After finishing it, nothing ought to distress or disappoint me. I will read it again before I die,—that is, if I do not die before the expiration of “the years of man”,—which in all probability, I shall do. I am “not (I think) built for posterity”— as Mr. Martin says of Colwall.
Now I write down my palinodia. Dear Bummy has been here to speak of my going to Malvern, & has proposed my staying until Wednesday!! Hurrah!—I am going. She & A will convoy me to the wyche.
They did,—& walked down with me & my bundle. Mrs. Boyd at dinner. My companions stayed only a few minutes; & then I dined, & then I went in to Mr. Boyd. I really believe he was pleased. A smile lasted on his face for several minutes!—& he told me not to go into the drawing room for the snuffers which we wanted, for fear they shd. keep me there. It wd. be better to ring the bell.
We went on with Gregory’s oration on Christmas day;[1] & after tea went on with the going on. Half past eleven before we went to bed!—
1. Oration 38 (GNO, I, 613–624). Following the final line of the text in WG, p. 624, is the note: “Read the 7 preceding columns with Mr Boyd. Jany. 23 24 25. Ruby Cottage.”
