Social activity

Wednesday, October 27th., Cadogan Square, London.

At 6 o'clock Lewis Mannering came, to ask me to open the new establishment of Foyle the bookseller. He then asked me for a play for the Q Theatre, and then we talked about religion and books. He is a great collector of folk-lore books. He got 20,000, was bored, and sold 'every leaf' and then he began again and has now reached 5 or 6,000. He is a firm rationalist. Not a bad sort.

Andre Maurois

We had Andre Maurois, Ethel Sands, Jeanne de Casalis, Ruby Lindsay, Alfie Mason and Arthur Waley to dinner, and it was a very good party. Maurois showed extraordinary charm. He spoke once more about doing a French very free adaptation of "Milestones". I encouraged him. He said that he thought "The Old Wives' Tale" was one of the finest works in English literature. I was quite pleased!

Richard is envious that I lead what appears to him to be an exciting social life. Well I do, but I didn't at his age. I have paid for my festivities during a long course of years. When I was his age I worked in an office 9.45 to 6 (stealing an hour or so in the middle of the day to go to the British Museum), and I worked, chiefly on bibliography and articles, at night. I scarcely ever went to a party, never to a retaurant (except ABCs for lunch), never to a dance. And so on, and so on. I don't think he will be convinced!