Item 143 - Draft letter from Elizabeth Trevelyan to Sophie Weisse

1 item.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Wishes she could visit and talk to Miss Weisse at once; is sending back all the enclosures as soon as she can; very sorry for all Miss Weisse's 'pain and anxiety' over the last few months. No use to go into details, and she does not wish 'to be a judge' between Miss Weisse and Donald [Tovey: see 8/75]; just wishes she could 'smooth away any difficulties there are'. Begs her not to be too anxious about Donald: seems quite natural that he would not want 'to give the least impression of being daunted or depressed' and he seemed 'perfectly sane & balanced in all his views' when she talked to him. Does not quite understand when Miss Weisse says in her letter that [Julius Engelbert] Röntgen may 'be doing a grave injustice to his friendship with [Pablo] Casals' if he only trusts Donald's account of what happened; asks if this means she thinks Casals' account, 'after having his mind poisoned by his wife [Guilhermina Suggia]]' could be at all trustworthy. Obvious that Suggia poisoned Casals' mind against Donald 'in order to clear herself', as she 'wrote one thing before the reconciliation & just the opposite after it'; hopes there is no doubt in Miss Weisse's mind about that - is sure there was none when they talked together first about the matter - and if so Röntgen will be able to 'judge quite well and generously about it'. Is sure it will 'all come right... when the angry passions have been calmed down'. Thinks she has read everyone's correspondence, starting with no prejudice against Suggia as she did not know her; thinks Casals' letter 'a "sad" but also really a very hard obstinate cruel note', when if Donald's was the same as the one he showed her the draft of, it was 'wise & generous, after all that had occurred'. Asks Miss Weisse to let her think it all over. Knows Donald 'will not dwell on it', and will be the first to try and help her forget it all. Asks whether she thinks Donald would like to spend Christmas at the Shiffolds; he might be encouraged to start work again by having to play through the score [of "The Bride of Dionysus"] to the Trevelyans.

Various alterations, additions and deletions present.