I said I could quite well conceive a philosophy which would be neither materialist nor Catholic. He quoted Dr Johnson about everyone having a right to his opinion, and martyrdom being the test. Catholicism, he said, had survived the test; would my philosophy?
As far as I was concerned I admitted that I held no opinion for which I was ready to go to the stake, except, possibly, that _Jane Eyre_ was an interesting book.
I heard from Mrs Housman this morning. She returns to-morrow.
Called on Mrs Housman, and found her in. Housman was there also. They asked me to dinner next Monday.
I am staying with Lady Jarvis. There is no one else. Lady Jarvis said she was glad Mrs Housman had returned to London.
_Letter from Guy Cunninghame to Mrs Caryl_
I dined with the Housmans last night. Only myself, Miss Sarah, Lady Jarvis, and Godfrey Mellor. Everything as it used to be. Carrington-Smith came in after dinner. He has not been inside the house for months. I don't know what Mrs Housman did nor how it was done, but it _was_ done, and done most successfully and quickly! She only came back a week ago. "Bert" looks quite different and is perfectly radiant.
George, I gather, hasn't seen her. They asked him to dinner last night, but he had an official dinner and couldn't come. He asked me whether I had seen her. He said he had been there several times, but she had always been out. He is still most depressed and goes nowhere unless he is absolutely obliged to. The Housmans have asked me to spend Easter at their villa. Lady Jarvis is going, and Godfrey; and Housman told me he was going to ask George. I am going and I shall stop two or three days in Paris on the way.
Lavinia Wray has gone to the south of France with her aunt. The Shamiers are going to Paris next week. They will tell you all the news, not that there is much.
A. told me he had not been to the country after all on Saturday.
Dined with the Housmans, a very agreeable dinner. Mrs Housman played and sang after dinner: Brahms' _Lieder_, and some Grieg.
A. asked me to luncheon. He told me he had been so sorry not to be able to go to the Housmans' last night. He said he had not seen them yet. He was so busy. He asked me how Mrs Housman was and whether Florence had done her good.