We have a dose of Irving imitations. Make the acquaintance of a Mr.

　　Padge. Don't care for him. Mr. Burwin-Fosselton becomes a nuisance.

　　November 20. - Have seen nothing of Lupin the whole day. Boughta cheap address-book. I spent the evening copying in the names andaddresses of my friends and acquaintances. Left out the Mutlars ofcourse.

　　November 21. - Lupin turned up for a few minutes in the evening. Heasked for a drop of brandy with a sort of careless look, which to my mindwas theatrical and quite ineffective. I said: "My boy, I have none, and Idon't think I should give it you if I had." Lupin said: "I'll go where I canget some," and walked out of the house. Carrie took the boy's part, andthe rest of the evening was spent in a disagreeable discussion, in which thewords "Daisy" and "Mutlar" must have occurred a thousand times.

　　November 22. - Gowing and Cummings dropped in during the evening.

　　Lupin also came in, bringing his friend, Mr. Burwin-Fosselton - one of the"Holloway Comedians" - who was at our party the other night, and whocracked our little round table. Happy to say Daisy Mutlar was neverreferred to. The conversation was almost entirely monopolised by theyoung fellow Fosselton, who not only looked rather like Mr. Irving, butseemed to imagine that he WAS the celebrated actor. I must say he gavesome capital imitations of him. As he showed no signs of moving atsupper time, I said: "If you like to stay, Mr. Fosselton, for our usual crust- pray do." He replied: "Oh! thanks; but please call me Burwin-Fosselton.

　　It is a double name. There are lots of Fosseltons, but please call meBurwin-Fosselton."He began doing the Irving business all through supper. He sank solow down in his chair that his chin was almost on a level with the table,and twice he kicked Carrie under the table, upset his wine, and flashed aknife uncomfortably near Gowing's face. After supper he kept stretchingout his legs on the fender, indulging in scraps of quotations from plays which were Greek to me, and more than once knocked over the fire-irons,making a hideous row - poor Carrie already having a bad head-ache.

　　When he went, he said, to our surprise: "I will come to-morrow andbring my Irving make-up." Gowing and Cummings said they would liketo see it and would come too. I could not help thinking they might aswell give a party at my house while they are about it. However, as Carriesensibly said: "Do anything, dear, to make Lupin forget the Daisy Mutlarbusiness."November 23. - In the evening, Cummings came early. Gowingcame a little later and brought, without asking permission, a fat and, Ithink, very vulgar-looking man named Padge, who appeared to be allmoustache. Gowing never attempted any apology to either of us, but saidPadge wanted to see the Irving business, to which Padge said: "That'sright," and that is about all he DID say during the entire evening. Lupincame in and seemed in much better spirits. He had prepared a bit of asurprise. Mr. Burwin-Fosselton had come in with him, but had goneupstairs to get ready. In half-an-hour Lupin retired from the parlour, andreturning in a few minutes, announced "Mr. Henry Irving."I must say we were all astounded. I never saw such a resemblance. Itwas astonishing. The only person who did not appear interested was theman Padge, who had got the best arm-chair, and was puffing away at afoul pipe into the fireplace. After some little time I said; "Why do actorsalways wear their hair so long?" Carrie in a moment said, "Mr. Haredoesn't wear long HAIR." How we laughed except Mr. Fosselton, whosaid, in a rather patronising kind of way, "The joke, Mrs. Pooter, isextremely appropriate, if not altogether new." Thinking this rather a snub,I said: "Mr. Fosselton, I fancy - " He interrupted me by saying: "Mr.

　　BURWIN- Fosselton, if you please," which made me quite forget what Iwas going to say to him. During the supper Mr. Burwin-Fosselton againmonopolised the conversation with his Irving talk, and both Carrie and Icame to the conclusion one can have even too much imitation of Irving.

　　After supper, Mr. Burwin-Fosselton got a little too boisterous over hisIrving imitation, and suddenly seizing Gowing by the collar of his coat,dug his thumb-nail, accidentally of course, into Gowing's neck and took a piece of flesh out. Gowing was rightly annoyed, but that man Padge,who having declined our modest supper in order that he should not losehis comfortable chair, burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter at thelittle misadventure. I was so annoyed at the conduct of Padge, I said: "Isuppose you would have laughed if he had poked Mr. Gowing's eye out?"to which Padge replied: "That's right," and laughed more than ever.

　　think perhaps the greatest surprise was when we broke up, for Mr. Burwin-Fosselton said: "Good-night, Mr. Pooter. I'm glad you like theimitation, I'll bring THE OTHER MAKE-UP TO-MORROW NIGHT."November 24. - I went to town without a pocket-handkerchief. Thisis the second time I have done this during the last week. I must be losingmy memory. Had it not been for this Daisy Mutlar business, I wouldhave written to Mr. Burwin-Fosselton and told him I should be out thisevening, but I fancy he is the sort of young man who would come all thesame.

　　Dear old Cummings came in the evening; but Gowing sent round alittle note saying he hoped I would excuse his not turning up, which ratheramused me. He added that his neck was still painful. Of course, Burwin-Fosselton came, but Lupin never turned up, and imagine my utter disgustwhen that man Padge actually came again, and not even accompanied byGowing. I was exasperated, and said: "Mr. Padge, this is a SURPRISE."Dear Carrie, fearing unpleasantness, said: "Oh! I suppose Mr. Padge hasonly come to see the other Irving make-up." Mr. Padge said: "That'sright," and took the best chair again, from which he never moved thewhole evening.

　　My only consolation is, he takes no supper, so he is not an expensiveguest, but I shall speak to Gowing about the matter. The Irvingimitations and conversations occupied the whole evening, till I was sick ofit. Once we had a rather heated discussion, which was commenced byCummings saying that it appeared to him that Mr. Burwin-Fosselton wasnot only LIKE Mr. Irving, but was in his judgment every way as GOOD oreven BETTER. I ventured to remark that after all it was but an imitationof an original.

　　Cummings said surely some imitations were better than the originals.

　　 I made what I considered a very clever remark: "Without an original therecan be no imitation." Mr. Burwin- Fosselton said q............