I often wonder if the people he goes among, and stays with--"he is the devil for country houses!" Mr. Aix says, "he has got them in the blood,"--I wonder if when they see him come smiling down to breakfast--he has to come down to breakfast in some houses, never at home--they realize that he has a wife and children and a secretary, and three cats depending on him? For I believe he is the kind of useful guest who has small talk for breakfast, which reminds me of those houses where the cook gets up early to bake the little hot cakes people like, and what it means to her, no one imagines! George stokes and talks at the same time, and that is one reason why they all love him and ask him madly for Saturdays to Mondays or longer. George is not well just now, his voice is all in his throat, and husky. His hair is getting very grey, and suits him; his eyes are large, like a sad deer's. He is still as graceful. Mr. Aix says he has taken to wearing stays. I don't believe this. I am the only one in the house who sticks up for George. Ben hates him, so does Aunt Gerty. Ben will go on hating him till he is allowed to go to school. Mother never speaks of him, so I don't know how she feels about him. In cold weather he is always much nicer to her. He feels the cold of England. He has written about Italy till he is half Italian. He has got a new secretary, a "singularly colourless personage," whom Mother likes very much. She isn't half so amusing as Christina, but Lady Scilly says she is far more suitable. After Christmas was over, George left us and went to "The Hutch," Lady Scilly's place in Wiltshire. Her novel is nearly finished, and Ben says she has piped all hands on deck--I mean all the people who are helping her have to be ready with their help. There is a lawyer and a doctor among the crew, but George is master-skipper. I believe that she will drop them all when once the book is done? George too, perhaps. Though I am not sure she likes him only for the sake of the novel? He can be fascinating when he likes, and he does like with her. It's such a good old title. I think I am right, for he was away a long time, indeed he has never stayed so long at "The Hutch" before. He has his own suite there, and all the other rooms are called after the names of his novels or characters in them. Could any one pay an author a greater compliment? Mrs. Ptomaine was not staying there--Never no more!--but she has a lady friend who was, and the friend says Lord Scilly is beginning to get "restive." Mrs. Ptomaine comes to see us, at least to see Aunt Gerty, a good deal; she is no longer all in all with Lady Scilly since the Mr. Pawky episode.