doesn't _convince_ somehow; it's too impartial. One doesn't say to the footman, "Show the Rector up, please, and show this blackmailer out," even at the Lyceum. One says, "_Kick_ this black-hearted hound out," and the footman realises then that you have something against the fellow. Just so one doesn't gather from the above line that the poet has any strong preference as between the false and the true, except that there is no good rhyme to "the false," unless you can count "waltz"; but what about-- _Hoot_ out the old, ring in the new; _Hoot_ out the false, ring in the true? Magnificent! There's some sting in that; it "gets over," and it brings the whole poem into harmony with modern practice. Come on, we'd better have another dance before the great moment. I wonder if TENNYSON ever saw the New Year in at two guineas a head. I don't expect so. For that matter it's the first time we've done it at an expensive public "Revel" ourselves; but then this is the first year we've been absolutely bankrupt. Up till now we've been rather well off, and have celebrated cheaply at home. Do you realise that this is our wedding-day? I believe you'd forgotten; women never remember these things. Yes, it's six years.... Six years. And this is the first year we've been bankrupt. All the same, as I say, it's the first year we've come out and had a jolly good supper. Reckless? Yes, I'm afraid we are. But we've caught it from the Government.... However, to-morrow we'll start a new cheque-book. Have you made your resolutions yet? I have. Do you remember this time last year? You said you'd keep accounts, and I said I wouldn't smoke so much. And all the year through our resolution has never wavered. I've got evidence of that. Look at my diary. Here we are:-- _January 1st._--G. started keeping accounts. Gave up smoking. And here we are again:-- _March 20th._--G. started accounts. _March 29th._--Knocked off smoking. That shows it was no mere flash-in-the-pan, doesn't it? And we _went on_ like that. Look at this:-- _June 6th._--Gave up smoking. _June 7th._--Only one pipe since yesterday. _June 30th._--Cut myself down to four pipes a day. _July 1st-9th._--G. keeping accounts; knocked off smoking. But I wonder why I kept writing it down. Even in September, you see, I wasn't taking it for granted:-- _September 29th._--Quarter-Day. Not smoking this quarter. G. began new system of accounts. It looks like bragging, doesn't it? But I don't think I can have meant it that way. Still, it is rather marvellous, when you come to think of it--here we are, after all these months, twelve of them, and we still stick doggedly to the same unswerving resolution. Nothing can alter it. That's what I call tenacity of purpose.