Carrie was dreadfully upset at this disaster, for it was one of a
pair of vases which cannot be matched, given to us on our wedding-
day by Mrs. Burtsett, an old friend of Carrie's cousins, the
Pommertons, late of Dalston. I called to Sarah, and asked her
about the diary. She said she had not been in the sitting-room at
all; after the sweep had left, Mrs. Birrell (the charwoman) had
cleaned the room and lighted the fire herself. Finding a burnt
piece of paper in the grate, I examined it, and found it was a
piece of my diary. So it was evident some one had torn my diary to
light the fire. I requested Mrs. Birrell to be sent to me to-
morrow.

October 31.--Received a letter from our principal, Mr. Perkupp,
saying that he thinks he knows of a place at last for our dear boy
Lupin. This, in a measure, consoles me for the loss of a portion
of my diary; for I am bound to confess the last few weeks have been
devoted to the record of disappointing answers received from people
to whom I have applied for appointments for Lupin. Mrs. Birrell
called, and, in reply to me, said: "She never SEE no book, much
less take such a liberty as TOUCH it."

I said I was determined to find out who did it, whereupon she said
she would do her best to help me; but she remembered the sweep
lighting the fire with a bit of the Echo. I requested the sweep to
be sent to me to-morrow. I wish Carrie had not given Lupin a
latch-key; we never seem to see anything of him. I sat up till
past one for him, and then retired tired.

November 1.--My entry yesterday about "retired tired," which I did
not notice at the time, is rather funny. If I were not so worried