November 14.--Everybody so far has accepted for our quite grand
little party for to-morrow. Mr. Perkupp, in a nice letter which I
shall keep, wrote that he was dining in Kensington, but if he could
get away, he would come up to Holloway for an hour. Carrie was
busy all day, making little cakes and open jam puffs and jellies.
She said she felt quite nervous about her responsibilities to-
morrow evening. We decided to have some light things on the table,
such as sandwiches, cold chicken and ham, and some sweets, and on
the sideboard a nice piece of cold beef and a Paysandu tongue--for
the more hungry ones to peg into if they liked.

Gowing called to know if he was to put on "swallow-tails" to-
morrow. Carrie said he had better dress, especially as Mr.
Franching was coming, and there was a possibility of Mr. Perkupp
also putting in an appearance.

Gowing said: "Oh, I only wanted to know, for I have not worn my
dress-coat for some time, and I must send it to have the creases
pressed out."

After Gowing left, Lupin came in, and in his anxiety to please
Daisy Mutlar, carped at and criticised the arrangements, and, in
fact, disapproved of everything, including our having asked our old
friend Cummings, who, he said, would look in evening-dress like a
green-grocer engaged to wait, and who must not be surprised if
Daisy took him for one.

I fairly lost my temper, and said: "Lupin, allow me to tell you
Miss Daisy Mutlar is not the Queen of England. I gave you credit