{"product_id":"2940013740938","title":"The Diary of a Provincial Lady","description":"_November 7th._--Plant the indoor bulbs. Just as I am in the middle\u003cbr\u003eof them, Lady Boxe calls. I say, untruthfully, how nice to see her, and\u003cbr\u003ebeg her to sit down while I just finish the bulbs. Lady B. makes\u003cbr\u003edetermined attempt to sit down in armchair where I have already placed\u003cbr\u003etwo bulb-bowls and the bag of charcoal, is headed off just in time, and\u003cbr\u003etakes the sofa.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDo I know, she asks, how very late it is for indoor bulbs? September,\u003cbr\u003ereally, or even October, is the time. Do I know that the only really\u003cbr\u003ereliable firm for hyacinths is Somebody of Haarlem? Cannot catch the name\u003cbr\u003eof the firm, which is Dutch, but reply Yes, I do know, but think it my\u003cbr\u003eduty to buy Empire products. Feel at the time, and still think, that this\u003cbr\u003eis an excellent reply. Unfortunately Vicky comes into the drawing-room\u003cbr\u003elater and says: \"O Mummie, are those the bulbs we got at Woolworths?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLady B. stays to tea. (_Mem_.: Bread-and-butter too thick. Speak to\u003cbr\u003eEthel.) We talk some more about bulbs, the Dutch School of Painting, our\u003cbr\u003eVicar's wife, sciatica, and _All Quiet on the Western Front_.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(Query: Is it possible to cultivate the art of conversation when living\u003cbr\u003ein the country all the year round?)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLady B. enquires after the children. Tell her that Robin--whom I refer to\u003cbr\u003ein a detached way as \"the boy\" so that she shan't think I am foolish\u003cbr\u003eabout him--is getting on fairly well at school, and that Mademoiselle\u003cbr\u003esays Vicky is starting a cold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDo I realise, says Lady B., that the Cold Habit is entirely unnecessary,\u003cbr\u003eand can be avoided by giving the child a nasal douche of salt-and-water\u003cbr\u003eevery morning before breakfast? Think of several rather tart and witty\u003cbr\u003erejoinders to this, but unfortunately not until Lady B.'s Bentley has\u003cbr\u003etaken her away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFinish the bulbs and put them in the cellar. Feel that after all cellar\u003cbr\u003eis probably draughty, change my mind, and take them all up to the attic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCook says something is wrong with the range.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e_November 8th._--Robert has looked at the range and says nothing\u003cbr\u003ewrong whatever. Makes unoriginal suggestion about pulling out dampers.\u003cbr\u003eCook very angry, and will probably give notice. Try to propitiate her by\u003cbr\u003esaying that we are going to Bournemouth for Robin's half-term, and that\u003cbr\u003ewill give the household a rest. Cook replies austerely that they will\u003cbr\u003etake the opportunity to do some extra cleaning. Wish I could believe this\u003cbr\u003ewas true.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreparations for Bournemouth rather marred by discovering that Robert, in\u003cbr\u003ebringing down the suit-cases from the attic, has broken three of the\u003cbr\u003ebulb-bowls. Says he understood that I had put them in the cellar, and so\u003cbr\u003ewasn't expecting them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e_November 11th.--Bournemouth._ Find that history, as usual, repeats\u003cbr\u003eitself. Same hotel, same frenzied scurry round the school to find Robin,\u003cbr\u003esame collection of parents, most of them also staying at the hotel.\u003cbr\u003eDiscover strong tendency to exchange with fellow-parents exactly the same\u003cbr\u003eremarks as last year, and the year before that. Speak of this to Robert,\u003cbr\u003ewho returns no answer. Perhaps he is afraid of repeating himself? This\u003cbr\u003esuggests Query: Does Robert, perhaps, take in what I say even when he\u003cbr\u003emakes no reply?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFind Robin looking thin, and speak to Matron who says brightly, Oh no,\u003cbr\u003eshe thinks on the whole he's put _on_ weight this term, and then\u003cbr\u003ebegins to talk about the New Buildings. (Query: Why do all schools have\u003cbr\u003eto run up New Buildings about once in every six months?)","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47070246011120,"sku":"2940013740938","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013740938_p0.jpg?v=1763589630","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013740938","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}