Sam [brother] in bed with “congestion”. Worried. I feel he is shortening his life by doing two jobs, but don’t know the answer…[redacted discussion of financial position]
We had M. and Mme Marceau round on Wednesday evening for a meal – bottle of wine, “apéritifs”, the full treatment. They brought us a Camembert. I felt I ought to show them some hospitality on the do-as-you-would-be-done-by principle. It was only afterwards that I thought that it might be useful to us to have a French contact- so that perhaps in two or three years’ time we could exchange Philip for a boy his own age for three weeks in summer. Edith [wife] said she thought I didn’t seek contacts for “ulterior motives” – no harm in having “ulterior motives” so long as you don’t pretend the motives don’t exist. In any case, as I said, the “ulterior motives” only occured to me later. For myself, I’m quite prepared to spend a quid or two on hospitality without any thought of reciprocity.
Bad lumbago (fibrositis? arthritis?) yesterday. Easier to-day, though had to do backward-roll act in bed to put socks on. Sheyne gelekhter [Yiddish – what a laugh!]. Now feeling slightly sick. Herring for supper. Susannah fit, bless her, she is really, well, cute; as I’ve told E. all along, these are the golden years. E. toils all the time, sticking wall paper in kitchen now. Worried about her “lake” (leg) – varicose veins. She should have operation, but would have to lose a stone at least before an operation could be considered. Don’t know how she manages to keep standing on them all the time.