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349
The Journal of a Disappointed Man
·
W. N. P. Barbellion
26
I
remarked
that
his
friend
next
door
had
shown
me
an
Amphioxus.
"Oh!
I
expect
that's
some
beastly
bacteria
thing,"
he
said
petulantly.
"I
can't
understand
Wilkinson.
He's
a
pervert."
I
told
him
what
Amphioxus
was
and
laughed
up
my
sleeve.
He
likes
to
think
of
Zoology
as
a
series
of
pretty
pictures
illustrating
beautiful
moral
truths.
The
old
fellow's
saving
grace
was
enthusiasm....
Having
focused
an
object
for
us,
he
would
stand
by,
breathless,
while
we
squinted
down
his
gas-tube,
and
gave
vent
to
tremendous
expletives
of
surprise
such
as
"Heavens,"
or
"Jupiter."
His
eyes
would
twinkle
with
delight
and
straightway
another
miracle
is
selected
for
us
to
view.
"They
are
all
miracles,"
he
said.
"Those
are
the
valves"--washing
his
hands
with
invisible
soap--"no
one
has
yet
been
able
to
solve
the
problem
of
the
Diatom's
valves.
No
one
knows
what
they
are--no,
nor
ever
will
know--why?--why
can't
we
see
behind
the
valves?--because
God
is
behind
the
valves--that
is
why!"
Amen.
October
1.
Telegraphed
1,000
words
of
Lord
----'s
speech
at
T----.
Spent
the
night
at
a
comfortable
country
inn
and
read
Moore's
lyrics.
"Row
gently
here,
my
Gondolier,"
ran
through
my
head
continuously.
The
Inn
is
an
old
one
with
a
long
narrow
passage
that
leads
straight
from
front
door
to
back
with
wainscoted
smoke
room
and
parlours
on
each
side.
China
dogs,
bran
on
the
floor,
and
the
picture
of
Derby
Day
with
horses
galloping
incredibly,
the
drone
of
an
old
crony
in
the
bar,
and
a
pleasant
barmy
smell.
Slept
in
a
remarkable
bedroom
full
of
massive
furniture,
draped
with
cloth
and
covered
with
trinkets.
The
bed
had
a
tremendous
hood
over
it
like
a
catafalque,
and
lying
in
it
made
me
think
I
was
an
effigy.
Read
Moore
till
the
small
hours
and
then
found
I
had
left
my
handbag
downstairs.
Lit
a
candle
and
went
on
a
voyage
of
discovery.
Made
a
considerable
noise,
but
roused
no
one.
Entered
drawing-room,
kitchen,
pantries,
parlour,
bar--everywhere
looking
for
my
bag
and
dropping
candle
grease
everywhere!
Slept
in
my
day
shirt.
Tired
out
and
slept
like
a
top.
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