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Friday 30 May 2014

A painting day

Monday, May 30th., Villa des Nefliers, Fontainebleau.

Yesterday morning I had written a 1,700 word holiday article (200 words too long) for Tillotson's before 7.30 a.m. At 10 o'clock I began to do a nature morte, and with intervals for food and nap, I worked at it till a quarter to six. This is the first entire day I have ever spent at painting. The best picture I have ever done. I shall finish it today. Marguerite went to Paris after lunch to see her father and family generally, and came back with fine tales; so that most of the time I was alone with the dog, who was most gloomy. When I had done painting, I began to read "Whom god hath joined" and couldn't leave it. I read about seventy pages of it. This is the sort of book that insists on being read.

Am just reading "The Man of Property". Certainly I should say that the erotic parts - and there are plenty of them - were done under the influence of George Moore. If Galsworthy had never read and admired George Moore, the similarity is extremely remarkable.

Additionally for May 30th., see 'Election day'

To the rest of the British world, however, the day was memorable as being Election Day. I went to an enormous election party in the evening and found dozens of people seriously disturbed at the mere possibility of Labour getting a clear majority. The rancour and asperity of party politics was exposed naked in speech, tone, and gesture. Still the food and the champagne were admirable.

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