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20 Bryanston Square, W.1. - Thanks her for the booklet.

Walmer Castle, Kent.—Agrees broadly with his views on the Labour and Contracts question; suggests discussing ‘more personal topics’ [presumably Venetia Stanley] in person. Discusses possible changes to the Government.

3 Lincolns Inn Fields, London, W.C.—If he has been unjust to Dane he is sorry, but Dane’s letter [A4/8/2b] contains a good deal of ingenuousness, and if it had been given to him in India when he was investigating the subject he would have cross-examined him on some points and sought evidence on others. It is not true that Dane impressed on him that the [land] tax was in the form of a rent; rather he himself introduced the subject by asking whether that would be Dane’s defence; but the Viceroy arrived at that point, and they could not discuss the matter further. Dane’s defence of his Government made him smile: it may be true, but the attacks on it MacDonald heard in his investigations did not come from the quarters or for the motives Dane suggests. He would like to discuss with Dane the pros and cons of the ‘peaceful nature of his province’. His book contains no suggestion that Dane’s revenue is the heaviest in India. Financial reformers in India generally seize on the taxation imposed in the Chenab colonies and similar irrigation areas, and he mentioned the Punjab to show that he had their own arguments in mind. On reviewing his notebook he can say that if what Dane says about the tree is true, he was grossly misled by a trusted Government representative. There is, however, a general complaint in Simla that the houses of officials are unnecessarily large and expensive to maintain. Sir O’Moore Creagh, the Commander in Chief, and Sir Guy Fleetwood Wilson, the financial minister, both complained to him of the needless expenditure placed on them by their predecessors’ extravagance, which the Government of the time should not have allowed. He returns the letter.

Chhatarpur, Bundelkhand, C.O.[?]. – Trevelyan’s ‘kind letter of the 15th’ reached him in time. Was a ‘great pity’ that he could not meet them at the time of their departure, which he will ‘never cease to regret’. Hopes to see them again, either here or in England. Asks to be remembered to Mr Forster when Trevelyan next writes to him. Found the book he had lent to Trevelyan in the Guest House. Is glad that Trevelyan ‘really seem[s] to have enjoyed’ his visit to Chhatarpur, despite Mr Dickinson’s illness; hopes Dickinson is now ‘absolutely all right’. Will be pleased to read Trevelyan’s work, which he has ‘so kindly ordered’ for him; Trevelyan’s ‘illustrious father’s life of Macaulay is of course a standard work and can easily be had even in India’; hopes Trevelyan will ‘also attain the same or even higher eminence’.

Sends Christmas greetings to Trevelyan and Dickinson, and best wishes for the new year. Adds postscript that they have been ‘shocked to see the shocking telegram about the *shocking outrage at Delhi on the occasion of the Viceregal entry [the assassination attempt on Lord Hardinge]! I don’t know what to say abt it!! Horrible!!!’

British Embassy, Paris - Thanks her for the invitation to J.G.F.'s lecture; mistook the day, cannot attend the lecture after all.

24 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W.—(21 Nov.) Breccles needs a new hot-water supply, so she has planned to go down with Lutyens to the Nobles’ [Wretham Hall] to investigate. Will consult Surtees about further mortgages. This afternoon she went with Phyllis to see Viola's first night, and dined at home with guests.—(22 Nov.) She lunched with Nancy and Sydney, whom she dislikes. She dined [at home] with guests, including Coates, who is still in love with Diana.—(22 Nov.) Is dining with Cardie, K, and Asquith, which she thinks is a good sign. After the hospital she played tennis with Edgar and lunched with Hankey and Masterton, who is increasingly ‘soppy’ about Winston. Both seemed disappointed by the failure of the latest attack. Has just heard that Edward has been killed. Reflects on the number of friends who have been, and may be, killed.—(24 Nov.) Has not seen Diana yet, as she was at K’s and did not come to the hospital. Last night she dined with only Cardie and the Old Boy, and she and Asquith reminisced about Sicily. Today she lunched at the Curzons, where Hardinge and Curzon made friendly remarks about Montagu. She had tea with Viola and Hugo, who plans to start a small theatre with Nigel Playfair. She dined with Duff, and Patrick and Phyllis arrived later. Patrick is worried that he may have to marry Phyllis, but she has a new lover, Edgar Vincent.—(25 Nov.) After the hospital she saw Diana, who is wretched but determined to give Duff as much fun as possible. She lunched and dined with Pat, Duff, and Diana, and were joined by Phyllis and Hugo came in later.—(26 Nov.) She lunched with de Noailles, and went to see K and Frances. Discusses the effects of Edward’s death. She dined at Mansfield Street. Refers to the progress of Montagu’s bed.—(27 Nov.) She lunched at home with guests, including Birrell and Freyberg, whom she could not get to talk to each other; then, after visiting Frances, she went to the cinema with her ‘futurist friend’ Wyndham Lewis, and then to Cardie’s for a farewell party for Oc, though he has now got a fortnight’s extension. It is rumoured that he is engaged to Betty Manners.—(28 Nov.) She had lunch with Waxworks and Mikky, then sewed and read with Diana and Duff. She dined at Claude Lowther’s with Goonie, the Duke of Marlborough (who Duff thinks may be Goonie’s lover), and others. Lowther’s house is lovely, but his bedroom is ridiculous. ‘If you had wanted to caricature a bugger’s bedroom you couldnt have done it differently.’ She returned home to find Diana, Duff, and Pat reading.—(29 Nov.) Lord Lansdowne’s letter [to the Daily Telegraph, calling for a negotiated peace with Germany], more because she doesn’t want to lose anyone else than because she thinks it right. K[atharine] and Viola, who, with Diana, dined with her, disagreed violently on the subject.—(1 Dec.) The King and Queen visited the hospital yesterday and asked after Montagu. The King referred to Mrs Besant as an ‘odious woman’. Afterwards she visited Montagu’s mother and went to a party at the India Office to meet some Indian officers. Birrell, Phyllis, and Blanche dined with her. She and Lutyens are lunching together today, then going off with the Nobles.

Wretham Hall, Thetford.—Describes Wretham Hall and its estate.

24 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W.—(2 Dec.) She drove with Lutyens to Breccles and they examined the house and discussed what needs to be done. They returned to Wretham for lunch, and are now off to London. (3 Dec.) Has received his letter from Aden [B1/146].

(The first sheet was rewritten on 1 December, the original having been lost.)

Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta. - Reached Calcutta last Friday and will stay for at least another week, before going to Darjeeling for a couple of nights then on to Madras; they may stay at Puri for two nights. Thinks they will leave Ceylon for Java by the boat on 7 February; discusses the best place to address further letters. His mother's letter has only just reached him; is glad Bessie and Julian are so well. He and Dickinson are both well, having a 'very interesting time' at Calcutta and meeting some 'quite interesting Bengalis'. It has been 'quite tiring', and he is glad to be getting into the country tonight to see the Tagores' school. The Bengalis are 'a much more civilized people than the other Northern Indians' or at least it is only here they have found 'some really intellectual society', at which the Tagores and their family are at the centre; 'various Chaudhuris and Dr Bose, an eminent scientist... are all relations or friends of the Tagores'. Has been 'disappointed in the paintings of the two Tagore painters [Abanindranath and Gaganendranath]' but they are very nice people; has made friends with 'a poetess, a widow' [Priyamvada Devi?]; some of her poems, which she translates, are 'quite good, though not so remarkable as her relative [Rabindranath] Tagore's'. Dr [Jagadish Chandra?] Bose has showed them his experiments proving 'that plants have heart-beats and a circulation of sap', and took them for a row on the Hoogly [river]. Visited Gaya on the way here and saw where Buddha 'attained enlightenment'; the temple had been 'spoiled, but some fine sculpture was left'. The 'attempted assassination' [on the Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge] is 'very unfortunate', but should not make any difference to the government's general polity; does not think there is 'any general discontent just now, certainly less than a few years ago'.

Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta. - This is [his and Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson's] last day at Calcutta, except for a night on their way back from Darjeeling to Madras next week; their time here has been 'very interesting, though rather tiring' and they have met many people, mainly Bengalis. The connections of the Tagores and Chaudhuris, for whom they had introductions, 'form a remarkable social and intellectual circle'. Many of them are 'a good deal Europeanized', and all talk and write English well, though they are mostly nationalistic and wear Indian dress in their own homes. Have met at least a dozen of the Tagore family, men and women, all 'agreeable and clever'; the poet Rabindranath, whom they have met in England, is now in America; his brother [Satyendranath] who lives here was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. There are then two younger men [Gaganendranath and Abanindranath] who are distinguished painters; Robert is 'rather disappointed in their work, but they are charming people and great connoisseurs'. The family home consists of three large palaces on three sides of a small square in the centre of town; there are some 'fine musicians, as well as writers'. They are going with a young relation [Nagendranath Ganguli] to spend a night at the family house on the Ganges on their way back from Darjeeling; he will meet them at Sara and take them there by boat.

They have also met Justice [Ashutosh] Chaudhuri, who married a Tagore [Rabindranath's niece] and has seven brothers; they are 'going for lunch with a deportee... who scarcely looks like a revolutionary'; have also seen something of Dr [Jagadish Chandra] Bose, a 'very distinguished physicist and botanist', and have met many young men 'chiefly barristers, and many of them Cambridge men', who are inclined to be 'a little sore' about the British 'methods of government'; some of them are 'really bitter'. The problem is that the English, 'with very few exceptions, do dislike and distrust the Bengalis' and cannot conceal this. Only the law is open as a career, and there is little gratitude for Morley's reforms. Hopes the commission [on public services in India] will support 'simultaneous examinations for the Civil Service'. Things are quite quiet, despite the 'Delhi outrage' [the attempted assassination of the Viceroy, Lord Hardinge], but could worsen at any time. The ill-feeling is 'almost entirely confined to the rich and educated classes'. and the British must make sure to 'protect and legislate for the peasants' to balance the increased power given 'quite rightly' to the others.

Finishes the letter on Wednesday morning, before starting for Darjeeling; expects to be in a 'far colder climate' than his father tomorrow morning. Did not give the correct address for him in Java to his mother and sends the correct one for him for letters written after 18 Jan. Expects to reach Java around 13 [February]. Has been to see the large Banyan tree in the Botanical Gardens, which is 143 years old; compares it to Milton's description at the end of book 9 of "Paradise Lost". Expects Julian has now left Wallington; he seems to have enjoyed his 'long stay' there; is glad his parents found him a 'pleasant visitor'. Dickinson is now 'fairly well' though gets tired easily; Robert is very well 'despite Indian food'.