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abt London
[[strikethrough]] FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1936 [[/strikethrough]] 
136th Day   230 Days to come

Cont.  S.S. Wash

much too early for a stand-up dinner!

The Army Reserve men were very nice & hospitable - & they looked nice in their uniforms - & behaved most pompously. We saw their pageant - army army army - dating from the Boer War till now - & considering that these [[strikethrough]] Reser [[/strikethrough]] Queens Reserve men [[strikethrough]] only [[/strikethrough]] have separate jobs all day & can only train [[strikethrough]] in [[/strikethrough]] there at night  as a sort of hobby - they seemed remarkable. There was a ball after - & as K & I had secretly hoped to join Mary Payne's party after if John took me home early enough - I was most disappointed to find that J. was in no mood for bed. He gave me a nice evening though - ending by going home in the Tube - & I then to Lyon's Pop - where I told him how I felt about him & K all over again, & in the end he said he handed it all back again on a platter, because nothing I said or thought could influence him! Another day in London I went at the suggestion of that jew artist, Beddington to Tuft's Publishing Co with

abt London
[[strikethrough]] SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1936 [[/strikethrough]] 
137th Day   229 Days to come

Cont.  S.S. Wash

my zoo book. The night I had met Beddington with Kenneth he had boasted a blue streak about all the publisher's pies he had his hooks in - so thinking he could help he very kindly took me in his car to get my book, for his advice. He liked it - & advised Tufts, but ended by saying he'd get an interview for me the next day, but he never did, so I went to Tufts' shivering & shaking. I was both thrilled & appalled to find myself being ushered into Mr Tufts' office itself - & there he was - the head of the huge works - a shrewed little old jew of 80 years. His presence consisted of the art of silence & action - for he looked at my book - & immediately showed me three huge fat books of animals in all colors - & then putting them side by side with my measly little book, he said - "& you want a shilling for your book, when we can sell these for 6 pence?" His [[strikethrough]] w [[/strikethrough]] judgement of my drawings was very accurate - for he picked out the giraffes & lion - & said they were much too inaccurate & dishonest for children - & that the book was clever but not accurately

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