Bad nights

Friday, February 26th., Cadogan Square, London.

A bad few nights. More than usually bad. Some sort of cold on the kidneys I think, affecting the bladder. Very uncomfortable at times, but things improving now. From experience I have learned that the best thing to do with this sort of internal irritation is to have 'a good flush out'. So yesterday I drank nothing but water, and lots of it. Seems to be working. Tonight should be better - only usually disturbed! I wonder if I will ever sleep through a night again? I doubt it.

Not feeling like doing any work, I have been reading Wells's "The Invisible Man". I read it when it first came out but enjoyed it more this second time. In fact I was quite gripped by it. Wells has an ability to construct a vivid scene in the reader's imagination in very few words and once engaged it is hard not to continue to the end. In fact I did continue to the end in spite of some minor inconveniences to the rest of the household. Griffin, the Invisible Man, is a great creation and it is hard not to feel sorry for him in spite of his amorality; one feels that his character is a product of cumulative prejudices and that his behaviour is beyond his conscious control. I wonder if Wells intended the story to be allegorical? It feels to me as if it is - the alienation which may arise for an intelligent and active man in a society which has no niche for him. I must ask Wells about this when I see him next. He will probably laugh and say that I am over-intellectualising.