Slept well. Six and a half hours sleep undisturbed. Felt exceptionally well in consequence. I went down, partly on foot and partly by omnibus, to the Quai des Grands Augustins. It was a perfect morning. I had the itch to buy a book or two and I gave way to it. There is nothing in the world to compare with the pleasure of browsing for and buying books when one has plenty of time, a carefree soul, and a sufficiency of spare cash. Just the thought of it makes me feel better.I bought, on the Quai, the two "Cardinal" books of Halevy, a Moliere in two volumes (Didot), Jouast's edition of "Le Mariage de Figaro", and Albert Wolff's "Memoires de Boulevard". The whole lot bound in various calfs for twelve and a half francs. I lunched frugally in a corner at Laperouse's. I read Wolff coming home in the omnibusand in my reading armchair when I got back "Madame Cardinal". The former is amusing, the latter a masterpiece. I felt I had thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I had also collected my ideas, by the way as it were, for the second instalment of the serial, and between 3.30 and 4.30 I wrote 500 words of it.
More reading this evening and the pleasure of re-arranging my bookshelves to accommodate the new purchases. Altogether something approaching a perfect bookman's day.
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