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Has been informed that the Bombay High Court is asking pleaders to show cause why they should not be disbarred for taking the satyagraha [passive resistance] vow. Questions whether it is worth proceeding against satyagraha now it is over. Is telegraphing to [Sir George Lloyd at] Bombay for facts in connection with a question to be asked by Wedgwood [in the Commons] on Thursday.

(MS in the hands of Montagu and S. K. Brown. Used for transmission.)

In the train from Folkestone.—(20 Oct.) Has learnt of his safe arrival at Boulogne. Hopes that Alan and Kisch will prove more competent than expected.

[24 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W.]—Is depressed at having to spend the winter without him, despite the prospect of arranging Breccles. Reflects on their relationship and plans. After he left she and Viola went shopping, and she saw a sideboard she liked. Has dealt with some correspondence.—(Later.) Diana has visited. Is going to the opera.—(21 Oct.) Discusses her visit to the opera last night. This morning she went to Arlington Street [the Rutland Hospital], lunched with Diana and the Duchess, drove to Bushey in a vain attempt to meet Duff, and dined at Arlington Street for a ‘working reading aloud evening’. She intends to go to the hospital every morning, but will go away if the air-raids are bad.—[Later.] They read again in the evening.—(22 Oct.) Has received two notes from him. She went to Arlington Street and lunched at the Bath [Club]. Goonie is bored by having Jack home. Has ordered some things for the house.—(23 Oct.) She lunched with friends, including Masterton, who reported the rumour of a new coalition including ‘the old bird’ [Asquith], then went to South Kensington to show Diana David Garrick’s bed, which she is thinking of copying for Montagu. She dined and went to the opera with Bluey, and they discussed sapphism. Has had no news about letting the house.—(24 Oct.) After the hospital she went to the Bath, and to the House of Lords. Gives an account of the debate [on the situation in India]. In the evening she went to a play with Viola. Has let the house and bought the sideboard.—(25 Oct.) She dined with Cardie for Rawle’s farewell party, then went to a party at Lady Howard’s, which included Hugo Rumbold, who she is ‘crazy’ about, and Teddie Gerard, who enchanted Winston.—[26 Oct.] Has learnt of Montagu’s arrival at Port Said and has received his letter from Modane. She went to the Bath, where Clemmie was ‘very typical’ about Winston and Teddie. Some friends are dining with her, and they may go to the opera afterwards.—(27 Oct.) Only some of her guests went to the opera last night; she stayed in talking till late with the others. After Arlington Street she went shopping and to lunch with Katherine and Diana. Later she may go to Arlington Street for a ‘working reading evening’. Has received his letter from Rome and eagerly awaits his diary. The house has not, after all, been let.—(28 Oct.) She went to Bushey with Diana and Michael Herbert to see Duff, and dined with Diana and Edward, who has just come home on ‘Mells fire leave’ [Mells Park had been destroyed by fire on the 11th].—(29 Oct.) After the hospital and the Bath they lunched with Edward, after which Venetia took him to Lucile’s, where they found Viola choosing dresses for her new part. She got home to find Phyllis there, having turned out by her father for throwing a hair-brush at him. Rib writes to her daily, but they are trying to persuade her that he must marry her or stop seeing her. There was an abortive air-raid warning.—(30 Oct.) Edward has fallen in love with Phyllis. She lunched with friends, and Hugo Rumbold, who is probably another of Phyllis’s lovers, came to tea. Has received a telegram from Cairo and has heard that Montagu’s party has already broken up into groups. Some friends are dining with her tonight. Is appalled by the household expenses.—(31 Oct.) Her dinner went well, but she and Diana got into an argument with Edward. She had lunch with friends at home. Phyllis has told Ribblesdale that she will have to stop seeing him if he does not mean to marry her, but it is unlikely that her good intentions will last. Diana said to Phyllis that her mind had been corrupted by Scatters, and later Ribblesdale asked Phyllis whether she had ever slept with him, ‘which she had the sense to deny’. Lutyens brought her Blow’s plans [of Breccles], but as they are not of the house as it is now she will have to go down there to correct them. Is going to the opera.

Train to Breccles.—(1 Nov.) Was kept awake by an air-raid. Is on the way to meet Horner.

[24 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W.]—(2 Nov.) She did a lot of business with Horner at Breccles and planted some bulbs. Lutyens will probably come next time.—(3 Nov.) Has had no letter from him for a week, but has replied to his telegram. She played bridge this evening, and yesterday dined with friends and went to a play. Phyllis has gone to Arkers; her relationship with Lord Ribblesdale is still unsettled. Today she lunched with Maud and they went to the opera. Eric says Lloyd George is worried about the effect of the air-raids on public opinion.—(4 Nov.) She spent the day at Taplow. Ettie was on good form.—(5 Nov.) She went to Charing Cross [Hospital] again this morning and found it squalid, but she will only be going there two mornings a week. She had tea with friends and dined and went to a play with Duff, who starts his career at Chelsea Barracks on Monday. Phyllis is dining with Edward, Rib, and Arkers, and as the Viceroy is in London she will probably not come back tonight. Edward is still in love with her, but Venetia doesn’t know whether he has seduced her yet.—(6 Nov.) She lunched with Diana, Duffy, and Edward. Edward and Diana are reconciled. She is giving a dinner tonight. Hugo Wemyss has gone to Paris as Flavia Forbes has been bitten by a mad dog. He is corresponding acrimoniously with Lord Derby about Lady Angela [Forbes], who has been asked to leave France on account of alleged drunkenness.—(8 Nov.) Margot and the ‘old Boy’ [Asquith] were at Hazel’s party last night and asked after Montagu, but Vizee gave her (Venetia) a sour look; she and Bongie are the only ones who have said nothing about Montagu having gone [to India]. Has received his letter from Port Said [B1/144a]. She lunched with Winston and Clemmie, went to see Gladys, then played bridge at Lady Essex’s. Tonight she and Phyllis are dining with the McKennas and then going to a party at the Baroness’s.—(9 Nov.) Has seen his mother and shown her his typed notes [his ‘Diary’]. Phyllis leaves tomorrow.

24 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W.—(11 Nov.) On Friday [9th], after dinner at Cassel’s, she and Margot shared a taxi driven by a Miss Ryder, who had been at the Slade School with Phyllis. At home she found Edward, Bluey, and Phyllis. Edward and Phyllis spent the night together. Phyllis has now left. Today she lunched with friends, including Bluey, who is leaving for Canada next week on ‘air board business’. Has begun painting the silk for Montagu’s bed. Is dining with Cardie and William, who needs another operation.—(12 Nov.) Nash came to lunch, and she dined at Wimborne House. Ivor is having great success with Diana. Has been put in charge of a ward at the hospital.—(13 Nov.) Norah and Nancy Lindsay made an irritating visit in the afternoon.—[14 Nov.] She dined at home last night. Her guests included Cowans, who seemed more than usually hostile to Lloyd George, whose speech [in Paris] is endlessly discussed. She lunched with Willie Tyrrell and Bluey, who also discussed the speech. Has been unable to see Hankey or Eric since Montagu left. Is going tonight to a farewell party for Edward.—[Later.] Rosemary has denied there is much chance of her becoming the future Queen. ‘Oc is home, slightly gassed, & may be going to get both a brigade and a V.C!’—(15 Nov.) She dined with Ava, where she sat next to Josh Wedgwood, who gave her some earnest advice about Bampfylde Fuller’s letter in The Times. Afterwards she played bridge and went to a wedding-party at the Fairbairns’, which she left with the Baroness d’Erlanger, whom she likes. ‘J’aime toujours les maitresses de mes amants.’ She denies, however, that Hugo is her lover, even though Diana and the Baroness suspect it.—(16 Nov.) She dined at Osbert’s new house, and thought him and Sachie ‘a truly strange pair’.—(17 Nov.) She set off to see the Jimmy Rothschilds at Witney, but Dolly met her at the station to tell her that Neil had been fatally wounded, so went to Munstead instead for lunch. On her return home she found Montagu’s Cairo letter [B1/145]. Lloyd George is in a mess over his Air Ministry, but Northcliffe’s letter will do Northcliffe more harm than Lloyd George. Denies that she is unhappy. Last night she dined with the Roy and various guests.—(18 Nov.) Asks about the carpets at Cairo.—(19 Nov.) She lunched with friends at the Savoy, and she and Diana reminisced about lunches there with Neil. She dined with the Baroness, who is having a row with Hugo about some infidelity of his. Has received a letter from Scatters, who has been in action. In the afternoon she went to a ‘ghastly’ party given by Sen in honour of his father [Keshub Chunder Sen], and this evening some friends called briefly on the way to a ball.—(20 Nov.) Wedgwood, who came to lunch, says that yesterday’s debate was a triumph for Lloyd George, and that Asquith’s position of ‘hands off the soldiers’ is unpopular with the Liberals. Has just visited William Rawle, who is convalescing after his operation.

3, Hare Court, Inner Temple. - Came here this evening, but missed Bob; has to dine with 'Dons & people' tomorrow evening and so will not see him then at 8 Gros[venor Crescent], but will try to see him on Thursday or Friday. Will not be able to come to 'Fatty's dinner' as he has many things of 'exceptional importance to settle'. Will be at Welcombe with Sir George at the weekend to talk about his dissertation, which 'must now become a book' ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"]; Sir George is going to read it, and he would also like Bob to do so as soon as he can and give him 'general opinions & criticisms'; will not show it to 'any other young person', since he will have 'such a lot of elderly [emphasised] academic advisers as it is'. Moore 'was quite certain [to get a Fellowship]', but George is 'a surprise!'. Has been to see 'old Bowes (of McMillans, Cambridge)' who told him Jackson and Verrall had both bought 'M. & A.' [Bob's "Mallow and Asphodel"], and that he was ordering many more copies to put in the window for the beginning of term. Jos[iah] Wedgwood's wife [Ethel] is 'very much pleased' with the book; cannot tell Bob more about sales or 'private or general opinions at Cambridge', as it has not yet 'assembled'.

Little Datchet Farm, Malvern, R.D.1, Pennsylvania. - Thanks Bessie for sending the gratifying comments of her German friend Dr Bluth about his book ["An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth"?], though is puzzled by Bluth's allusion to [Hans] Reichenbach, whom he got to know well when he was at Los Angeles. He is 'a man of simple kindliness', he thinks 'remarkably free from complexes' and 'his philosophy is thoroughly sane'; never encountered 'reactionary sentimentality' in him. Visited [G.E.] Moore at Princeton, who was 'exactly as usual'. They had an enjoyable visit from Joe Wedgwood, who has 'got into hot water' for suggesting the British constitution may be better than the American in some points. Is afraid the British government has been 'foolishly harsh' about German refugees, and public opinion is just as bad; expects it will get worse. In America, people are so far 'fairly reasonable' but fears this will not last. All the more difficult to be optimistic about the world after the war. Asks how the war touches Bessie's daily life 'in physical ways': does she constantly hear aeroplanes, are the woods cut down and the beauty of her surroundings destroyed? Is very sorry her eyes are so bad: hopes Bob continues to read books to her. She has read to him and Russell so many times: hates to think of her being unable to read.

Little Datchet Farm, Malvern, R.D.1, Pennsylvania. - Agrees that it is difficult to write to distant friends - much unknown and much that cannot be said - but values letters from friends in England more and more. Absurd that Bob's walks on Leith Hill are so restricted. Agrees that ["The Brothers] Karamazov" is a great book, but hates it, and thinks Dostoevsky 'evil': dislikes 'the doctrine that one should sin in order to experience humility'. Has written about John in his letter to Bob [see Russell's "Autobiography"]; Kate is doing very well at Radcliffe, an annex of Harvard; at the moment she is on holiday and they are 'employing her as a servant, because ordinary servants can't be got' (they are all engaged in war work). This is 'terrible slavery' for Peter and she has hardly any time for reading or writing. Conrad is very well, 'a chatter-box, with an enormous vocabulary'; he can read a little, but they have not started him on writing; he is a delight, but it is hard not to wonder 'what sort of world he will have to live in'. Have had a visit from Julian Huxley and several from Ted Lloyd: 'a joy to see friends from England'. Also saw Jos Wedgwood, who was 'quite untamed'. Finds his pupils 'dull', and his employer 'very difficult', but is making a book from his lectures and his research is interesting. Peter 'fairly well', but sad at being exiled from all mental life by house-work'.

Wedgwood is about to ask him a question in the House about the arrests at Calcutta, mainly with regard to the treatment of political prisoners. Refers to A3/9/2 and A3/12/1 and notes with respect to the latter that Butler has stated publicly that special treatment has been arranged for political prisoners. Asks Reading to reply to A3/12/4 in time for Wedgwood’s question.

(Typed, with handwritten alterations. Used for transmission.)