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           HesaidheenjoyedhisChristmas,andadded:“IfeelasfitasaLowtherArcadefiddle,andonlyrequirealittlemore‘oof’tofeelasfitasa£500Stradivarius.”IhavelongsincegivenuptryingtounderstandLupin’sslang,oraskinghimtoexplainit.

           December27.—ItoldLupinIwasexpectingGowingandCummingstodropintomorroweveningforaquietgame.Iwasinhopetheboywouldvolunteertostayin,andhelptoamusethem.Insteadofwhich,hesaid:“Oh,youhadbetterputthemoff,asIhaveaskedDaisyandFrankMutlartocome.”IsaidIcouldnotthinkofdoingsuchathing.Lupinsaid:“ThenIwillsendawire,andputoffDaisy.”Isuggestedthatapost-cardorletterwouldreachherquitesoonenough,andwouldnotbesoextravagant.

           Carrie,whohadlistenedtotheaboveconversationwithapparentannoyance,directedawell-aimedshaftatLupin.Shesaid:“Lupin,whydoyouobjecttoDaisymeetingyourfather’sfriends?Isitbecausetheyarenotgoodenoughforher,or(whichisequallypossible)sheisnotgoodenoughforthem?”Lupinwasdumbfounded,andcouldmakenoreply.Whenhelefttheroom,IgaveCarrieakissofapproval.

           December28—Lupin,oncomingdowntobreakfast,saidtohismother:“IhavenotputoffDaisyandFrank,andshouldlikethemtojoinGowingandCummingsthisevening.”Ifeltverypleasedwiththeboyforthis.Carriesaid,inreply:“Iamgladyouletmeknowintime,asIcanturnoverthecoldlegofmutton,dressitwithalittleparsley,andnoonewillknowithasbeencut.