before dinner with AKERS--DOUGLAS and JACKSON, as mentioned some weeks
ago, SARK and I would never have tried this way of passing a Recess.

Hadn't heard OLD MORALITY was going to look in. Expect he wasn't sure
he could get away from Cabinet Council, and so didn't write. When I
came upon him he was standing absorbed in contemplation of ARPACHSHAD.
ARPACHSHAD, himself, so engrossed in problem occupying his mind, that
he did not notice our visitor. Had started yesterday cutting grass on
lawn with machine. Getting on pretty well with it till, this morning,
wind rose, blowing half a gale from Westward. ARPACHSHAD discovered
that, starting with machine from the Westward, he, with wind blowing
astern, got on capitally; but coming back, with wind ahead, there was
decided addition to labour of propelling machine. When OLD MORALITY
arrived, ARPACHSHAD had halted midway across the lawn, and was looking
Westward with air of profound and troubled cogitation.

"I know what he's thinking of," said OLD MORALITY, whose Parliamentary
experience has made him an adept at thought-reading; "he's wondering
if it's possible to mow the lawn all from the Westward, so that he
would have the wind behind him throughout the operation."

No doubt OLD MORALITY had fathomed depth of ARPACHSHAD's meditations.
Pretty to see his manoeuvring: Went down full-sail with assistance of
favouring gale; tried to tack back, bearing away to the North; when
he'd got a little way, slewed round to the West, going off before the
wind to edge of lawn. Finally borne in upon him that the position was
inexorable. He couldn't go with the wind all the time; must retrace
his steps; by tacking was really covering more ground than need be;
was, in fact, doing more work than he had intended. Shocked at this
discovery proceeded to follow ordinary course. Presently catching