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December
31
.
--
The
last
day
of
the
Old
Year
.
I
received
an
extraordinary
letter
from
Mr.
Mutlar
,
senior
.
He
writes
:
"
Dear
Sir
--
For
a
long
time
past
I
have
had
considerable
difficulty
deciding
the
important
question
,
'
Who
is
the
master
of
my
own
house
?
Myself
,
or
your
son
Lupin
?
'
Believe
me
,
I
have
no
prejudice
one
way
or
the
other
;
but
I
have
been
most
reluctantly
compelled
to
give
judgment
to
the
effect
that
I
am
the
master
of
it
.
Under
the
circumstances
,
it
has
become
my
duty
to
forbid
your
son
to
enter
my
house
again
.
I
am
sorry
,
because
it
deprives
me
of
the
society
of
one
of
the
most
modest
,
unassuming
,
and
gentlemanly
persons
I
have
ever
had
the
honour
of
being
acquainted
with
.
"
I
did
not
desire
the
last
day
to
wind
up
disagreeably
,
so
I
said
nothing
to
either
Carrie
or
Lupin
about
the
letter
.
A
most
terrible
fog
came
on
,
and
Lupin
would
go
out
in
it
,
but
promised
to
be
back
to
drink
out
the
Old
Year
--
a
custom
we
have
always
observed
.
At
a
quarter
to
twelve
Lupin
had
not
returned
,
and
the
fog
was
fearful
.
As
time
was
drawing
close
,
I
got
out
the
spirits
.
Carrie
and
I
deciding
on
whisky
,
I
opened
a
fresh
bottle
;
but
Carrie
said
it
smelt
like
brandy
.
As
I
knew
it
to
be
whisky
,
I
said
there
was
nothing
to
discuss
.
Carrie
,
evidently
vexed
that
Lupin
had
not
come
in
,
did
discuss
it
all
the
same
,
and
wanted
me
to
have
a
small
wager
with
her
to
decide
by
the
smell
.
I
said
I
could
decide
it
by
the
taste
in
a
moment
A
silly
and
unnecessary
argument
followed
,
the
result
of
which
was
we
suddenly
saw
it
was
a
quarter-past
twelve
,
and
,
for
the
first
time
in
our
married
life
,
we
missed
welcoming
in
the
New
Year
.
Lupin
got
home
at
a
quarter-past
two
,
having
got
lost
in
the
fog
--
so
he
said
.
January
1
.
--
I
had
intended
concluding
my
diary
last
week
;
but
a
most
important
event
has
happened
,
so
I
shall
continue
for
a
little
while
longer
on
the
fly-leaves
attached
to
the
end
of
my
last
year
's
diary
.
It
had
just
struck
half-past
one
,
and
I
was
on
the
point
of
leaving
the
office
to
have
my
dinner
,
when
I
received
a
message
that
Mr.
Perkupp
desired
to
see
me
at
once
.
I
must
confess
that
my
heart
commenced
to
beat
and
I
had
most
serious
misgivings
.
Mr.
Perkupp
was
in
his
room
writing
,
and
he
said
:
"
Take
a
seat
,
Mr.
Pooter
,
I
shall
not
be
a
moment
.
"
I
replied
:
"
No
,
thank
you
,
sir
;
I
'll
stand
.
"
I
watched
the
clock
on
the
mantelpiece
,
and
I
was
waiting
quite
twenty
minutes
;
but
it
seemed
hours
.
Mr.
Perkupp
at
last
got
up
himself
.
I
said
:
"
I
hope
there
is
nothing
wrong
,
sir
?
"
