usual in a sober way. To be sure, it was excellent, and some old
acquaintances proved a good excuse for the glass.

_January_ 24.--I took a perverse fit to-day, and went off to write
notes, et cetera, on _Guy Mannering_. This was perverse enough; but it
was a composition between humour and duty; and as such, let it pass.

_January_ 25.--I went on working, sometimes at my legitimate labours,
sometimes at my jobs of Notes, but still working faithfully, in good
spirits, and contented.

Huntly Gordon has disposed of the two sermons[120] to the bookseller
Colburn for L250--well sold, I think--and is to go forth immediately.
The man is a puffing quack; but though I would rather the thing had not
gone there, and far rather that it had gone nowhere, yet, hang it! if it
makes the poor lad easy, what needs I fret about it? After all, there
would be little gain in doing a kind thing, if you did not suffer pain
or inconvenience upon the score.

_January_ 26.--Being Saturday, attended Mr. Moscheles' concert, and was
amused; the more so that I had Mrs. M. herself to flirt a little with.
To have so much beauty as she really possesses, and to be accomplished
and well-read, she is an unaffected and pleasant person. Mr. Moscheles
gives lessons at two guineas by the hour, and he has actually found
scholars in this poor country. One of them at least (Mrs. John Murray)
may derive advantage from his instructions; for I observe his mode of
fingering is very peculiar, as he seems to me to employ the fingers of
the same hand in playing the melody and managing the bass at the same
time, which is surely most uncommon.

I presided at the Celtic Society's dinner to-day, and proposed
Glengarry's memory, which, although there had been a rough dispute with
the Celts and the poor Chief, was very well received. I like to see men
think and bear themselves like men. There were fewer in the tartan than
usual--which was wrong.

_January_ 27.--Wrought manfully at the _Chronicles_ all this day and
have nothing to jot down; only I forgot that I lost my lawsuit some day
last week or the week before. The fellow therefore gets his money, plack
and bawbee, but it's always a troublesome claim settled,[121] and there
can be no other of the same kind, as every other creditor has accepted
the composition of _7s._ in the L, which my exertions have enabled me to
pay them. About L20,000 of the fund had been created by my own exertions
since the bankruptcy took pla