Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Sorry the 'pretty girl' [Hylkia Halbertsma, see 46/100] cannot stay with Elizabeth; wonders if she will have more success elsewhere; wonders whether, when Robert is settled with Madame Palumbo, Elizabeth could visit the Grandmonts at Taormina. Wishes she could have heard the concert [organised by Dolmetsch, see 46/100]; asks whether it was an artistic and financial success. Asks how she got on with the Arnolds; he [Ernest Penrose Arnold] 'had his faults' but both Robert and George owe much to him and his school [Wixenford]. The Arthur Severns have been visiting; she was Ruskin's niece [actually second cousin], and they live at Brantwood. Sir Courtenay Ilbert has also been; his daughters [Olive and Jessie] stayed with C[harles] and M[ary], as did F[rancis Dyke-] Acland and H[ilton] Young. George and Janet return to London on Monday; they want Robert and Elizabeth to dine with them and Caroline on 19 October, with a 'little party afterwards'; they could go to the theatre the night before. Amused by the idea of Elizabeth teaching a class; they are lucky to get her. Hopes [Helen] Fry is recovering; 'wretched for her' to be away from home as well.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Robert's account of the 'subsidiary hunt' curious; comments on 'what tenacity there is in certain families', with Macaulay's grand-nephew [Robert], Wordsworth's grand-nephew, and he supposes the great grandson of Erasmus Darwin 'chasing each other about the lakes', while this Sunday Lord Coleridge, the poet's great-grand-nephew is staying at Wallington. He is coming to try the 'great murder case' of the paymaster shot on the train between Stannington and Morpeth' [John Nisbet]. Was pleased by Mary's excellent account of Julian; Robert will be glad to see him 'well and bonny'; sends love to Elizabeth, whose interesting letter to Caroline he has just seen. Notes in a postscript that he has just finished the fifth of [Cicero's] Second "Verrines", a 'wonderful oration'.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Thanks Bessie for the 'wry gift': will read it, but sees it will bring no comfort to his 'idleness and timidity'. The active left-wingers he sees in London 'dislike and deplore it'. Charles Mauron is in Britain, 'trying to form a popular front', with which Forster sympathises, though he draws back from Mauron's attempts to instigate intervention in Spain. Gets very upset when he cannot support his friends as they wish. Mauron and his wife are in great danger, and feel 'their English friends are failing them'. Has finished 'a long formless paper about the past (semi-political)' for Mary Trevelyan's 'show', and a broadcast on "War and Peace". Enjoyed Dover. Is taking his mother to London on Monday. Would be nice if she and Desmond [MacCarthy?] dropped in. Hopes Bob will give up his Italy trip given the political situation.
The Shiffolds. - The doctor has been and 'seems quite satisfied'; of course Bessie's recovery will be 'slower than usual' [after her premature birth of a dead child] but there is 'no need for anxiety any more'. She 'seems quite cheerful this morning''; thinks she is very glad nurse Godwin is there. Still, they will keep nurse Fry for now, and perhaps she will stay when nurse Godwin has to go, or they may get nurse Shepherd. The weather is much warmer, which is good.
Is very glad Charles and Mary are better and can return to London. Has many letters to write, so perhaps will stop now, but will 'send a line tomorrow morning'.
The Shiffolds. - Returned yesterday after a 'very wet hunt [the Lake Hunt], though they had a 'good day on Monday, and plenty of fun', which partly made up for the wet weekend. They went out on Saturday despite the rain, but it was 'rather poor sport'; they stayed at home on Sunday, and walked to Lodore after tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, but it was 'disappointing only to have one good day'.
Bessie seems very well; the Sangers and 'Mrs Clifford Allen with the baby', are here till Sunday, and the weather is fine but cold. Julian writes 'quite cheerfully'. Remembers liking James's The American Scene, 'especially the chapter about Richmond. They have heard of 'two promising couples, that may do as successors to Alice and Bert [Elms], but nothing is yet settled. Thought Charles and Molly 'both very well, and in good spirits'. Has been translating much of Theocritus' poetry, and hopes to bring it out in a book this autumn or next spring; perhaps also a book of new poems, but he 'must try to write a few more this summer'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Very cold, and the 'warmest thing to do' is to write to Robert at Ravello. Must have been delightful living 'in sight of Florence' [staying with Bernard Berenson at Settignano]. Sends love to Elizabeth; hopes she will be well on the journey to Ravello and have good weather. George is here for Christmas, and will then join Janet at Stocks; Charles and Mary return this evening from Mary's grandfather [Lowthian Bell]'s funeral. He was eighty nine, and 'very active in business' almost up to his death; awful weather for a funeral; considers the number of people who 'have caught their deaths at funerals'. [John] Morley has made a 'fine address enough' at the opening of a free library [in Plumstead], though this is now 'a most hackneyed occasion' thanks to [Andrew] Carnegie. Sir George himself is to open 'the [underlined, due to controversy] library' at Stratford on Avon; they have done well to choose someone 'accustomed to steer amidst quicksands'. They are going to Welcombe on Tuesday next 'in patriarchal fashion, with a through carriage for [their] whole establishment'. They like their Burne-Jones ["Idleness and the Pilgrim of Love"?] more and more, and will bring it to London; Sir George likes it best of their pictures apart from the Francia. He and Caroline are 'rather proud' of having got such 'sweet pictures' for a third of what a 'Road Magnate pays for a doubtful Romney'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad that Robert and Elizabeth have the house organised, and fine weather to enjoy it. Caroline is sending the "Times [Literary] Supplement" with an article [of his own "Interludes in Verse and Prose"] which is very pleasing, particularly the writer's appreciation of the Trevelyan 'family way of viewing the classics'. Has recently read [Plautus's] "Rudens" with much delight, and [Sophocles's] "Ajax" with less; Greek tragedy is not his 'special province', but he has much admired Jebb's translation of phrases in Charles's old school edition. Awaiting 'the event at Cambo' [the birth of Charles and Mary's daughter, Pauline]; thinks 'expectation keeps Charley idle, which is good for him'. The casts he has made from his photographs of Alexander's sarcophagus at Constantinople are most beautiful; not right to call his art 'idleness', but it is better for him as a change from writing and speaking.