Fine early. ― rain after 10 at times.
X2
Rose at 6. Homer till 8. Unwell from bad indigestion & boles shut up. Came to Stratford Place by 9. Mr. Pinder & Fairbairn had come yesterday. ―
Worked at the [] Corfû. ― C. Fortescue came. At 4.30 ― went out: ― called on Lady Strangford ― & sate some time with her & Miss Beaufort.
On Mrs. Manby ― out. ― On C. Wynne ― out. ― On the Crakes ― & saw M.A.C. ― the state of poor old Mr. C. ― still lingering ― is very sad. ― Walked home by 6.30 ― just in time to avoid torrents of rain.
At 7.45 ― cab to Mrs. Seymour’s: o! dear! what a long dull waiting before dinner ― a dinner of 16!
High bother bosh! ― & after dinner ― the converse on Marchetti’s statue was queer enough. ― but at 11 ― I rushed out, & got a cab ― to Mrs. Fairbairn’s concert. Not crowded ― but pleasant & really beautiful music. T. Woolner, H. Brandling, & Lady Lilford ― the Potters, Drummond Woollff [sic] & J. Edwards were of those I saw. ―
And with D. Woolff I walked as far as Bond St. ― & so home by 2.
D.W. told an anecdote of Adml. [Daeres] ― in company with Sir C.S. ― saying (― speaking of Divorces) ― “regular Divorces are all well & good, but for those cursed brazen bitches who sue their husbands for incapacity ―― their backsides should be soundly smacked.” ―――
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]
The Admiral’s firm opinion was well worth waiting for through that long dinner. He would later morph into an Army man, Colonel Blimp.