I was much fatigued after Christmas having slept poorly throughout. And on Christmas day I gave my annual dinner at Claridge's - vast crowd; two lounges added to the restaurant; many family parties; extremely noisy with many crackers and much throwing of paper missiles. But still I managed to do some work on my novel in the afternoon of Boxing Day.
Yesterday we were in London and after dinner I went out to be polite to the members of the "Milestones" company. Eadie was very gloomy. He is of course fully aware that I was against his appointment to be producer of this revival and so we are never more than polite to each other. Stella Jessie, Ada Barton and two others were the gayest. Stella asked me whether I could tell her what old gentlemen with long beards did with their beards when they took a bath. Hardly great wit but I said that a long beard may cover a multitude of sins in the bath. She laughed. It was that sort of occasion.The front-of-house-manager displayed the usual illogical optimism in face of a poor house. The night was awful and the audience thin and 'chilly' according to Eadie - hence his gloom. Perhaps that accounted for the atmosphere in the dressing-rooms. I think that Harben was the only realist in the assembly.
Today I lunched alone, dined at home, and wrote 2,100 words of my novel. Not bad words I think, but they did not come easily.
I shall be glad when the 'holiday' period is over.
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