176 The Diary of a Drug Fiend
of the things that attracted me most about him was
his being so spruce and well-groomed and alert. He
has changed altogether, since we came to London. I
feel there is some bad influence at work on him... .
This place is full of vermin. I found what had been
annoying me. I think I shall bob my hair. I’m awfully
proud of its length, but one must be practical. . .
I am lying down for a bit. It was a frightful nuisance
getting ready to go out. Cockie nagged and bullied
all the time.
I’m stiff all over, and it seems such waste of time to
wash and dress, besides, the irritation of the interruption,
and my clothes are impossible. I’ve been sleeping in
them. I wish we'd brought some trunks from the
Savoy. No, I don’t, it would have been a lot of trouble,
and interfered with our heroin honeymoon.
It’s best the way it is. I wish I had Jacqueline here
all the same. I need a maid, and she could have gone
out and got things. But we both felt that any one at
all would be a pill. The old woman doesn’t bother us,
thank goodness. I’m sure she still thinks we're spies.
Bother, what’s this? ...
Damn! It’s a letter from Basil!
(Note. The original of this letter was destroyed.
It is now printed from the carbon copy in the files
of Mr. King Lamus. Ed.)
“DEAR UNLIMITED Lov,—Do what thou wilt shall
be the whole of the Law. You will, I am sure, forgive
me for boring you with a letter; but you know what a
crank I am, and it is my mania just now to collect infor-
mation about the psychology of people who are trying to
advance spiritually in the way we spoke about when you
so charmingly dawned on my studio the other morning.
“ Do you find, in particular, that there is any difficulty
in calling a halt ? If so, is it not perhaps because you
hear on all sides—especially from people quite ignorant
of the subject, such as journalists, doctors and parrots