I think I ate too heartily of the "side dishes," as the waiter
called them. I said to Carrie: "I wish I had put those 'side
dishes' ASIDE." I repeated this, but Carrie was busy, packing up
the teaspoons we had borrowed of Mrs. Cummings for the party. It
was just half-past eleven, and I was starting for the office, when
Lupin appeared, with a yellow complexion, and said: "Hulloh! Guv.,
what priced head have you this morning?" I told him he might just
as well speak to me in Dutch. He added: "When I woke this
morning, my head was as big as Baldwin's balloon." On the spur of
the moment I said the cleverest thing I think I have ever said;
viz.: "Perhaps that accounts for the paraSHOOTING pains." We
roared.

November 17.--Still feel tired and headachy! In the evening Gowing
called, and was full of praise about our party last Wednesday. He
said everything was done beautifully, and he enjoyed himself
enormously. Gowing can be a very nice fellow when he likes, but
you never know how long it will last. For instance, he stopped to
supper, and seeing some blanc-mange on the table, shouted out,
while the servant was in the room: "Hulloh! The remains of
Wednesday?"

November 18.--Woke up quite fresh after a good night's rest, and
feel quite myself again. I am satisfied a life of going-out and
Society is not a life for me; we therefore declined the invitation
which we received this morning to Miss Bird's wedding. We only met
her twice at Mrs. James', and it means a present. Lupin said: "I
am with you for once. To my mind a wedding's a very poor play.
There are only two parts in it--the bride and bridegroom. The best
man is only a walking gentleman. With the exception of a crying