Moving on

Sunday, February 27th., Fulham Park Gardens, London.

I have moved from Victoria Grove because I needed room for my sister Tertia who is studying singing in London, and for my youngest brother Septimus who has won a National Scholarship for sculpture and is studying in South Kensington. And today was the house-warming.

When supper was nearly over, and at the third bottle of champagne, Marriott got up and began a speech by pulling out of his sleeve a huge pantomime cuff on which were written the notes of his oration. For 25 minutes he kept me wildly laughing, and wound up with a series of comic couplets setting forth my vices and virtues. I laughed all through, but after it was over I felt horribly self-conscious, and opened a bottle with an air of awful gravity.

My novel "A Man from the North" came out on Wednesday and such of my friends as have read it and whose view is worth a damn, like it heartily in a quiet way. Phillpotts is going to review it for Black & White. He has given me a lot of solid advice about things in general. I hope to introduce him to Sturt when the latter comes to visit.

I am working at a rather serious and long critical article on George Moore, which I hope I may be able to sell. I am enjoying the thing greatly & have already too much to say than there will be room for.. It is rather a big job. I have a good short story in tow for black & White, but it is lying by as the Moore article is rather urgent.

Additionally for February 27th., see 'False alarms'

At home, we learnt that small German raids expected. All local garrisons doubled. two batteries in the village etc. Great excitement. I had heard nothing of this in London.
As regards this 'great invasion scare', two batteries 'stood by' yesterday morning from 4 a.m. till sunrise and today from 5.30 a.m. till sunrise, all ready to move off - except that bits weren't in harness. The reinforcement which came in a hurry from Colchester here consists of convalescent wounded gunners from the front, appointed only to light duty and to extreme emergency duty. In the fatigue of yesterday's field day (which was utterly useless) the wounds of two of the gunners were reopened. It is considered that the early morning standing by is connected with high water, and that some attempt at landing is feared. Only the ammunition column remains in Thorpe. The two batteries have taken with then 100 rounds per gun. the rest is stored in our outbuildings.