The Journal of a Disappointed Man

At length, hearing the door open, I ejaculated, "the Lord be praised," rushed down, entered the bath-room and secured it from further intruders. I observed that Miss ---- senior had been bathing her members, and that the bath, tho' empty, was covered inside with patches of soap --unutterably black! Oh! Miss ----! Dressed leisurely and breakfasted. When the table was cleared wrote a portion of my essay on Spallanzani.... Then, being giddy and tired, rang for dinner. Miss ---- laid the table. She looked very clean. I said, "Good-morning," and she suitably replied, and I went on reading, the Winning Post. Felt too slack to be amiable. Next time she came in, I said as pleasantly as I could, "Is it all ready?" and being informed proceeded to eat forthwith. In the afternoon, took a 'bus to Richmond. No room outside, so had to go inside--curse--and sit opposite a row--curse again--of fat, ugly, elderly women, all off to visit their married daughters, the usual Sunday jaunt. At Hammersmith got on the outside, and at Turnham Green was caught in a hail storm. Very cold all of a sudden, so got off and took shelter in the doorway of a shop, which was of course closed, the day being Sunday. Rain, wind, and hail continued for some while, as I gazed at the wet, almost empty street, thinking, re-thinking and thinking over again the same thought, viz., that the 'bus ride along this route was exceptionally cheap--probably because of competition with the trams.