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at our table for some time, and the woman has an ex-
tensive outer reputation. A friend of Arnold�s went to her
and came back perfectly converted � said she told him all
his life �gave him hell� &c � for his misdeeds. Well, one
evening I went. It was a dead failure, and I formed a
very unequivocal opinion as to the woman�s character. The
business consists of incoherent nonsense, guess work, free love
jargon and outrageous obscenity � spiced higher or lower
according to the auditor. Well, I let out enough, at table,
of the result of my visit to convince Mrs P. that it would
n�t be �proper� to simper and cut jokes about �such a woman
as that� � so, ever since, she has decared with an air of
great wisdom �that her mind�s quite made up about Spirit-
ualism!� Your very proper, respectable people like a
taste of the nasty occasionally � and especially to snuff
about the edge of it. As for superstition there�s not a woman
in this house (except perhaps Mrs Church) that hasn�t
had her fortune told. Mrs Gouverneur went to, I don�t
know how many fortune-tellers, and Mrs Potter with her.
5. Wednesday. A letter from Hannah. How love has
developed and deepened her nature. She writes womanly, ear-
nestly, with strong sense and judgment of those about her. She
has been at books too, at my suggestion no less than her own
inclination. For news �that chit� Edwin Bolton has got married
to unknown to his friends to a poor young Banbury dress-maker
who is likely to become a mother. In doors all the misera-
bly wet day, writing, doggedly. Out of sorts.
6. Thursday. Wet again continuously. Down to to the
Post Office, coming back all-bemired to work. A repetition of