th the notion of a play on the Crusades, and
although there is at present no love incident in Gilbert's mind,
Alexander introduced and acted the supposed love scene with great
spirit. It may come off some day perhaps.

December 31st. H. Belloc's been very ill but is better, thank God.

1905

Feb. 1st. Gilbert, a guest at the "Eighty Club" dinner. Rhoda and I
went to after dinner speeches. G. W. E. Russell (Chair). Augustine
Birrell guest and Sir Henry Fowler. It amused me hugely. Russell so
imprudent and reckless, Birrell so prudent and incapable of giving
himself away, Sir Henry Fowler so commonplace and trite. He looked so
wicked. I thought of Mr. Haldane's story of Fowler's fur coat and his
single remark on examining it: "skunk."

Feb. 11th. Rather an interesting lunch at Mrs. J. R. Green's. Jack
Yeats and Mrs. Thursby were there. The atmosphere is too political
and I imagine Mrs. Green to be a bit of a wire-puller, though I
believe a nice woman.

Feb. 24th. Mr. Halliwell Sutcliffe came over. He is amusing and
nice. Very puzzled at Gilbert's conduct, which on this particular
occasion was peculiarly eccentric.

March 9th. I had an amusing lunch at the Hotel Cecil with Miss
Bisland (representative of McClure). Evidently thinks a lot of
Gilbert and wants his work for McClure. O ye gods and little fishes!
The diplomatic service ought to be all conducted by women. I offered
her Margaret's poems in exchange for a short interview with Meredith
which she wishes Gilbert to undertake.

March 14th. Gilbert dined at the Buxtons, met Asquith.

March 19th. Lienie is in town and we have been with her to call on
the Duchess of Sutherland. When I had got used to the splendour it
was jolly enough. Her Grace is a pretty, sweet woman who was very
nervous, but got better under the fire of Gilbert's chaff. She made
him write in her album which he did, a most ridiculous poem of which
he should be ashamed. It must be truly awful to live in the sort of
way the Duchess does and endeavour to keep sane.

May 20th. Words fail me when I try to recall the sensation aroused
by a J.D.C. dinner. It seems so odd to think of these men as boys, to
realize what their school life was and what a powerful element the
J.D.C. was in the lives of all. And there were husbands and wives,
and the tie so strong, and the long, long thoughts of