Agreeableizing

  1831 December Sunday 25 8 1/2 1 3/4 Christmas day. Very fine morning. F 58° in my room at 8 1/2 and 45° in the balcony at 9 1/2 – Downstairs at 10 – Miss Hobart had had letter from Madame de Hagemann which she gave me to read – The ends very kind, were to me – Had written me a note but Miss H-   begged her to write on a single sheet, so she had destroyed the note and written on the ends – There was a remark on Miss H’s heroic self-denial in not going to Italy. I took some very slight notice of it. Miss H fancied I thought she had been say ing one thing to one of us, another to the other (I thought no such thing) and this made a talk, but led however to her saying more clearly than ever before that she did not wish to go.   Thought I to myself, I know why. And in fact she thought of this, and it was that really annoyed her, and made her regret shewing me the  letter.  But I at last talked her out of this for she said she could not always hold out. ...

1831 December Saturday 24 7 50/.. 1 25/.. Fine morning, rather frostyish as yesterday, F 56° at 8 in my room and 38° at 8 3/4 in the balcony – Breakfast at 9 10/.. –  Had just done when Miss Hobart came about 9 3/4 – Started talking – Came upstairs at 10 25/..  Out at 1 40/.. Walked to the 3 mile stone on the London road – reading my little German Grammar as I went, but not in returning.   Met (in returning), near Mr. North’s, the 3 ladies Scott – Lady Ann very gracious.  Stopt talking a minute or two. Home at 12 35/.. – Out with Miss H- at 1 10/.. – Walked a little way towards the castle – Then returned and sauntered on the sands, or rather shingle, the water almost at high mark – Then up and down the parade, and came in at 2 20/.. Staid downstairs looking over the paper and Miss H- made me some orangeade – Laughed and said what expense of postage I should put her to by and by – Agreed I might safely venture on £5 (five pounds) a year  – and she to ...

  1831 December Friday 23 7 25/.. 1 Fine morning, F 57° in my room at 8 40/.. and 40° at 9 1/4 in the balcony – Wrote the journal of  yesterday and dressed (had Cameron) at 8 3/4 – Went downstairs at 9 20/.. – Sat reading Lavallettes Memoirs till Miss Hobart came in about 1/4 hour – Breakfast – Came upstairs at 11 – wrote copy of letter for Miss H- to write to her   brother, Lord Buckinghamshire.  Went out with Miss H- at 12 1/4 – to Wooll’s to order the new reform bill – Then walked up and down the parade and came in at 1 20/.. – Staid downstairs reading the paper till 3, when came up and till 6 40/.. (with the exception of about 3/4 hour that Miss H- came and sat with me), read ( except the about 38 pages before breakfast) from page 140 to 412, volume 2,  Memoirs of Lavallette, to the end of the work itself and 6 pages of the appendix. Dressed – Dinner at 7 10/.. in 1 1/4 hour – Sat for the 1st time over a dessert of oranges etc. – A very little m...

  1831 December Thursday 22 oo oo Up for 1/2 hour at 7 1/2, went to bed again and not up the whole day – Breakfast in bed between 10 and 11 – Took about 1/3 of a bun and 2 small basins of tea – Miss Hobart came to me, and 3 or 5 times afterwards during the Day – and some orangeade she made me in the afternoon was cooling and refreshing – Letter from Lady Stuart de Rothesay, Wimpole, which could not very well see to read – Letter enclosed for Miss H- Dinner in bed at 7 – a little mashed potato and Sago pudding, of each of which, took a little and slept afterwards, as I had done before great part of the Day – Fine day –   but rain began I should think about 5, and afterwards, good deal of rain in the evening and night – very high wind, Miss H- said all the day – Mr. Stuart arrived at 11, and staid the whole day – At one, incurred a cross thinking of Mrs. Barlow by way of thinking of someone.   Somehow, my mind is off Mariana and does not return.   ...

  1831 December Wednesday 21 10 2 Bowels pretty well lately till yesterday and all wrong this morning. Rainy morning – F 58 1/2° in my room at 9 1/2 and 48 1/2° at 11 10/.. in the balcony – Down at 11 1/4 – Breakfast in 1/2 hour – Miss Hobart had had a letter from Mr. Stuart saying he would be here for one day by the mail – that Miss H- expects him this afternoon at 4 –   Read her what I had written for her, and at her request, sat downstairs while she copied it out   making some few alterations and leaving out a little. Her manner is not always the most pleasant when one does anything for her, but it was better today and very well for her.   She is no great hand at figures. Could not multiply the sixteen years of interest by sixteen unless doing it by eight and two the other way.   Did  not understand putting the units under ditto and tens under tens – Read the newspaper – came upstairs at 2 30/.. wrote the above of today – I hope I shall do...

  1831 December Tuesday 20 8 20/.. 3 3/4 Fine, wild morning. F 60° in my room at 8 3/4 and 43 1/2° now at 9 1/2, at which hour down to breakfast.   1/2 hour reading the newspaper – Miss Hobart came at 10, then breakfast and talking to her about the letter she had just had from her brother Lord Buckinghamshire in a much more temperate strain than before, proposing she  should take four percent etc. etc.  Rather, on the whole, a thing to be well-managed for himself. Did not say very much, but advised her writing a kind answer but saying nothing decisive herself, as she meant to leave all that to her attorney – Came upstairs at 11 – Dawdling over 1 thing or other – Out with Miss H- at 11 50/.. – In passing, Miss H- left a note for Lady Ann Scott (to ask the address of the clergyman of the parish that he may sign her pension certificate) and her own card and mine – Then Miss H- got post bills changed at the bank and ordered a German noun test at Mr. Wooll’...

  1831 December Monday 19 8 1/4 1 20/.. Thinking of her far too much last night and this morning.   In tears then, and almost now. Surely this tyranny will pass away forever by and by. Fine morning – F 60 1/2° in my room at 9 and 42° now at 9 1/4 in the balcony. Headachy, rather bilious, and not feeling well this morning – feverish – No wonder – Down at 9 25/.. – breakfast in 35 minutes –  Out at 10 10/.. – Went to Mr. Wooll’s for my Bernay’s German and exercises and Goldsmith’s  Little almanack [sic] – Staid cutting open the leaves till 11 – Then walked forwards reading my little grammar – At 11 25/.., a smartish shower drove me into the Hare and Hounds public house – Sat there reading very comfortably 20 minutes till it was fair – Then walked slowly to the 3 mile stone and back at 1 1/2 – 5 minutes with Miss Hobart. Better – the two dessert spoonfuls castor oil she took last night operated at three five and afterwards. Changed my dress – from 2 10...

  1831 December Sunday 18 8 50/.. 1 10/.. Very rainy stormy night and very wet windy morning – F 56 1/2° now at 9 in my room and 49° at 8 3/4 in the balcony at 9 35/.. – Fair (now at 9 35/..) for the last 3/4 hour or more –  Down at 10 – Breakfast and looked at the paper in 3/4 hour – Miss Hobart down, but not quite well, that I went to church at 10 55/.. alone – our 2 usual clergymen – the one read the whole of the lesson, Isaiah xxx.   (I do not remember having ever heard v. 22 read in any church before), and the other preached dully and affectedly 36 minutes from John vi. 56 – a sacrament sermon – Home at 1 10/.. .25 minutes downstairs with Miss H-, then came to my room – Had my hair done and mended pens for Miss H- and dawdled over 1 thing or other – Somehow that heartless talking at of Miss H-’s last night made more impression than I expected or than anything she says ought to make. I thought of it much last night and this morning  and at church,...

  1831 December Saturday 17 7 1/2 1 1/4 Fine morning, F 49° in my room at 8 and 42° in the balcony at 8 1/4 – Down at 8 40/.. – Read over German fables – Skimmed the newspaper till 9 20/.., then breakfast and had just done when Miss Hobart came (with a bad headache) at 9 3/4 – Read aloud a fable to her very kind in my manner, but very proper – Came to my room at 10 1/4 – Out at 2 1/2 – Walked very slowly so as not to heat up, and reading German auxilliary verbs as I went along to the 3 mile stone on the London road – In returning, called at Wooll’s for a  few minutes and back at 12 50/.. –  With Miss H- downstairs 1/4 hour –  Out with her at 1 1/4 – Walked 1/2 way to Bohemia, then went on to the shore, shingle and gravel, and sauntered about, and came in at 2 35/.. –  Miss H- rather tired, but her head better – She had let me open gates for her and now first time in her life let me take off her clogs and give her her slippers in her room – Came to...

  1831 December Friday 16 8 5/.. 1 5/.. Very fine, rather frostyish morning, F 61°at 8 in my room and 42° at 8 3/4 in the balcony –  Down at 9 1/4 – read the paper – Miss Hobart came at 10 – Upstairs again at 11 – Went out with Miss H- at 11 1/4   – Walked along High Street to Mr. North’s then turned left up the hill and came out at the turnpike on the London road, and returned by the London road, the 1st time she has ever been 1/2 so far on the London road, and came in and up to my room at 12 50/.. – Asleep in my chair from then to 2 – Went out at 2 1/2 – Stopt at   Rouse’s High Street to buy some liquorice lozenges, and it then began to rain – Waited a little – Then went to Wooll’s and waited till it was fair (till after 3), paid for my German dictionary that came yesterday, and ordered Bernay’s German Grammar and Exercises, and inquiries to be made about some work on mythology for ladies – Walked slowly to the turnpike – Turned up the hill to the west,...

  1831 December Thursday 15 8 10/.. 1 1/2 Even rather better? motion than yesterday. F 61° in my room at 9 and 44° in the balcony  at 9 20/.., and very fine morning – Felt bilious when dressing – downstairs at 9 1/2 – tho’ giddy, skimmed over the paper – Miss   Hobart came at 10 – Took my breakfast slowly and a cup of tea, and came to my room at 10 3/4, very bilious – had another cup of hot tea – Sat expecting to be sick – At the giddiness being gone off and only headache, read till       from page 322 to 412 end of   “Memoirs of Count Lavalette, written by himself.   In 2 volumes; volume 1 London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1831; volume 1 pages 412.   Volume 2 pages 459. Quarto – ‘London printed by Samuel Bentley, Dorset – Street, Fleet Street.’ At twelve a very nice, good motion – Soon after 12, very sick (to action) and then about 12 1/2 lay down and slept and did not get up till when Miss ...

  1831 December Wednesday 14 8 10/.. 1 25/.. Pretty good motion; that is, one longish, natural, moderate-sized roll. Then forty minutes  washing night chemise – Finish, soft morning. F 65° in my room at 9 1/2 and 53° at 9 50/.. in  the balcony – Went down at 9 50/.. – Breakfast, and skimmed over the paper, and came upstairs at 10 55/.. Out at 11 1/4 – Ordered a pint gravy soup at Paines to be eighteen pence.   Walked to the 2nd mile stone on the London road.   Walked very slowly reading (1st time here) and getting by heart as I went along the German verb werden and the German articles – Back at 1 – 5 or 10 minutes with Miss Hobart.   Changed my dress – Out with her at 1 3/4. Met Lady Ann Scott coming to call on us – she would not let us return, but walked with us on the parade 3/4 hour – Lady Margaret’s marriage to be in February – Both the brothers, the duke and Lord John, here at present – Lord Marsham, aetatis 23, the bridegroom elect was at ...

  1831 December Tuesday 13 7 3/4 1 1/2 Very stormy windy – fair, but wind very high this morning – F 60° at 8 in my room and 54° in the balcony at 8 3/4 – Downstairs at 9 10/.. – Read the whole of the paper – Miss Hobart came at 9 3/4 – Breakfast at 10 in 40 minutes – Came to my room at 10 50/.. – Went out with Miss H- at 11 1/4 – We bought toasting cheese and butter, and I ordered her a woodcock, price 3/6 – Then walked up and down King High Street – Went to the bank, Messers Tilling and Smith, and got £50 on my letter of credit from Hammersley for £500 – 1/2 in their notes and 1/2 in cash – Then ordered Noehdin’s German and English dictionary at Mr. Wooll’s – and came in at 12 40/.. – Came to my room at 12 3/4 and put on my boots, meaning to go out again, but sat down in my great chair and slept till Miss H- came to me at 2 35/.. to see if I was out in the storm.   It had been raining like a water spout for some time – She staid till 3 1/4. We counted over my mon...

  1831 December Monday 12 8 1 10/.. Windy, but fair and finish and F 59° in my room at 8 – F 53° at 8 3/4 in the balcony, and then    and for a few minutes before, raining – Went down at 9 10/.. – Sat reading Miss Hobart’s German Grammar till she came down at 9 1/2 – Then in 1/4 hour, breakfast, 1/2 cup cold milk and 2 cups of tea in 3/4 hour (did not hurry  for not inclined for breakfast and only ate about 1/2 my usual quantity) and came upstairs at 10 3/4 – Miss H- had mentioned her London German master – Said if she would like to have him here, I would learn German and pay half the expense – Thought he might come for a pound a day and traveling expenses paid, especially as he might sleep and breakfast in the house into the bargain – Miss H- to write and name the thing to Lady Stuart.   We might have him for a month or six weeks during the Dead time in London for about £25 each? On coming up, found my cousin come. Half hour arranging for him the...

  1831 December Sunday 11 8 1/2 1 5/.. F 54° at 9 1/2, at which hour breakfast and rainy morning – came upstairs at 10 – read the whole of the newspaper – Went down to Miss Hobart at 12 20/.. for nearly 10 minutes. Mentioned that we ought to  have read prayer. Oh, no.  She did not need give me that trouble, as she should go to church  in the afternoon. She was reading a sermon and, not wishing to interrupt her, I came away.  We are very good friends, and I am now pretty co mfortably careless. It was a fortnight   last night since my last, and I hope, final change towards her began – Wrote the above of today, and from 12 3/4 to 2 1/2 at my private accounts – Then meaning to go to church, went downstairs for a little while and altogether interrupted 1/2 hour – Feeling a little uncomfortableness in my bowels, and seeing it raining, determined instead to stay at home – From 3 to 5 at my private accounts again and looking over my letters to ...