theatre, or spend afternoons or evenings out at people's houses. Mrs. Strachan does her best to drag me into what she calls "society," by introducing me to her women friends (especially those having daughters), who send me invitation cards, and the rest of it. I believe she would like to see me married, or at any rate engaged, to some young woman or other. She seems to look upon me as lawful prey in the matter of endurance of female agacerie. Sometimes I grow mischievous, and talk "atheism" to the young women she puts me with, or who are put with me, or whatever the real case may be. It is sufficiently amusing. I had great sport with Miss Isabel's "grave sweetness" last Wednesday afternoon in this way. (Miss Isabel would marry me, "atheism" and all, I think, if I, after all proper formalities, asked her to; which is a tribute to my personal charms and her belief in my personal possessions that I appreciate.) Miss Connie, however, resolutely refuses to be drawn into discussion of anything deeper than flirting, and I respect her for it. She is a frank little sensualist. Take it all in all, the womenkind I have so far met with have been of a most God-forsaken sort. There is not one that has seemed to me worth more than a mild sort of feeling that might by some be denominated "lust." The idea of having to live with one of these things for your natural life, short though it is! But the idea is happily out of the question; for where could you find one that would live with you without being your wife with bell, book, ring, and the rest of it? And I simply would not, could not, go through the foolery of the marriage service for any woman (or so I think) alive. The more I consider Christianity as compared with humanity—I mean, that Christianity is the only divinity and all other than Christians are either damned or at the best deluded—the more I revolt against it as an accursed libel on God, if He is, and His justice.'
About three weeks later:
'The first part of our work was finished to-day. I must say I hope the rest may be a little more interesting. And, indeed, it has at times seemed, perhaps
