vainly begged.

My Milne² vis^t did v. well in spite of rainy Sund^y & Mond^y. We made the most of our fine Sat. luckily & went to L.H.P. & saw the splendid azalias, & called at the Bosanquets & had a lovely tho’ cool drive back thro’ the long shadows & gleams of a 7 o’clock sun; they v. enjoy^g. & admiring.³ I’m sorry to find go^g. up hill still does for me, & unless I’ve a man well under control, an arm makes me worse! At least M^r. Milne’s help at L.H.P. proved the last feathers, for his idea of help^g me was to stride away with me till I c^d. hardly gasp “stop”—& I felt pretty bad all the way home, w^h. was tiresome because evident, & I had to take a v. easy Sunday. But out of doors fatigue nev. hurts me long, & I feel my life v. wholesome j. now. Today I mean to go to the Clays⁴ & look at their tennis as there’s a nice sheltered place to sit in, & have to call on a M^rs. Streatfeild⁵ on the way— I am glad my daisies amused M^r. Darwin—⁶ they struck me so much that I made a note of them w^h. I’ll copy—

1^st day, 10 were put into the vase, one placed with it’s face to the glass & 9 drooping into the room towards the window, but all hanging down to begin with.

2^nd day (ab^t. 30 hours later) four distinctly turned their faces to the look^g glass (including one arranged so) 4 were so upright I could not tell which way they inclined, tho’ I got on a chair to be level with them, and two only were still turned to the window. I remember one of the latter was low down in the vase & well backed with green, so the look^g. glass c^d. have no temptation for it. The effect was so completely spoiled by their contrariness that as I’d visitors coming I refilled the vase with other flowers as soon as I’d made my note. I have long tho^t the daisy tribe looked too m. at the ceiling to be becoming to my mantlepiece, but I never blamed the looking glass before—

I am going on Tues^d. for 2 nights to C.E.S. Holly Lodge, Long Cross, Chertsey.⁷ It’s rar an effort but I want v. m. to see her, & sh^d. like to know how m. v. short visits under v. favorable cir^cs. answers health ways.

The Farrers have been down here, Effie evidently much enjoyed her Southⁿ. vis^t. & was full of Sara’s goodness as a hostess.⁸ She flew off to Caver^ll Cas. yest.⁹ & is to return to town Mond^y., go an expedⁿ. with O Mond^y. after., marry the North^e. nephew Tues^y. morn^g.,¹⁰ & Tues^d. afterⁿ. escort her mother¹¹ to