Щоденник незначної особи

           —BurntmytonguemostawfullywiththeWorcestersauce,throughthatstupidgirlSarahshakingthebottleviolentlybeforeputtingitonthetable.

           April16.—ThenightoftheEastActonVolunteerBall.Onmyadvice,CarrieputonthesamedressthatshelookedsobeautifulinattheMansionHouse,forithadoccurredtome,beingamilitaryball,thatMr.Perkupp,who,Ibelieve,isanofficerintheHonoraryArtilleryCompany,wouldinallprobabilitybepresent.Lupin,inhisusualincomprehensiblelanguage,remarkedthathehadhearditwasa“bounders’ball.”Ididn’taskhimwhathemeantthoughIdidn’tunderstand.WherehegetstheseexpressionsfromIdon’tknow;hecertainlydoesn’tlearnthemathome.

           Theinvitationwasforhalf-pasteight,soIconcludedifwearrivedanhourlaterweshouldbeingoodtime,withoutbeing“unfashionable,”asMrs.Jamessays.Itwasverydifficulttofind—thecabmanhavingtogetdownseveraltimestoinquireatdifferentpublic-houseswheretheDrillHallwas.Iwonderatpeoplelivinginsuchout-of-the-wayplaces.Nooneseemedtoknowit.However,aftergoingupanddownagoodmanybadly-lightedstreetswearrivedatourdestination.IhadnoideaitwassofarfromHolloway.Igavethecabmanfiveshillings,whoonlygrumbled,sayingitwasdirtcheapathalf-a-sovereign,andwasimpertinentenoughtoadvisemethenexttimeIwenttoaballtotakea’bus.

           CaptainWelcutreceivedus,sayingwewereratherlate,butthatitwasbetterlatethannever.