104 From a letter to Christopher Tolkien 

22 October 1945

I dined for the first rime at Merton high table on Thursday, and found it very agreeable; though odd. For fuel-economy the common room is not heated, and the dons meet and chat amiably on the dais, until someone thinks there are enough there for grace to be said. After that they sit and dine, and have their port, and coffee, and smoke and evening newspapers all at high table in a manner that if agreeably informal is rather shocking to one trained in the severer ceremonies and strict precedence of mediaeval Pembroke. At about 8.45 Dyson and I strolled through 'our grounds' to Magdalen and visited Wamie and Havard – Jack was away. We broke up about 10.30.