His friendship with Roger Fry [presumably written to aid Virginia with her 'Life' of Fry; see also 17/85 and 17/97] in the days when they lived together at 29 Beaufort St between April or May 1895 and the autumn of 1896, when Roger married and Bob moved to Haslemere. Saw little of him before then, and 'knew next to nothing of art and artists', but 'no one could have been kinder in the way he introduced [Bob] to his world', or 'more patient of [Bob's] ignorance'. He was often busy with Extension Lectures on Italian art, and as illustration had 'already collected a great number of photographs' which was much harder then; thinks he had already succeeded D. S. MacColl as the "Athenaeum" magazine's art critic ; he did not therefore have as much time as he wished for painting, but 'worked very rapidly' when he could. He was painting 'several of his best early landscapes' and a few 'perhaps not very successful portraits'. One was of Mrs Widdrington, the 'sister [sic: actually mother] of Sir Edward Grey's wife [Frances]', who was a 'great friend' of Roger's and the mother of Ida Widdrington; Roger had been 'very much in love' with Ida not long before, but 'perhaps wisely, she would not marry him. She was a very vital and amusing girl, who loved hunting, farming and acting' and she and her mother remained friends with Roger for years. After that Roger 'had fallen very much in love, and none too happily, with Kate Kinsella (now Kate Presbitero)'; Bob thinks she 'treated him rather cruelly, not wanting to give him up altogether, and luring him back to her from time to time'. 'Fortunately (or perhaps in the end unfortunately) [because of her mental health problems]' he got to know Helen Coombe while he was living with Bob, and they fell in love with each other. Roger's parents 'strongly disapproved of his becoming an artist' - he told Bob that they had offered him a hundred pounds extra a year 'if he would promise never to paint from the nude', which he 'naturally refused' - and this made him fear they would not be pleased by his choice of wife, so he told them nothing about Helen 'for a long time...' [the rest of the draft is missing].
Chantry Dene, Guildford. - Thanks for the cheque, which is very welcome due to doctors' bills. Sends an idea for the title page [for "Sisyphus: an operatic fable"]. Hopes Goldie [Dickinson] will come down, but he will pay his promised visit to Mrs Widdrington first. Is glad that Bessie 'goes on well'. Saw H.G.D. [Henry Graham Dakyns], who is 'a dear' and gave Fry T.E. Brown's poems, which he now likes very much.
Naples. - They go to Rome in two days, and can be reached there by Post[e] Rest[ante]. Bob must be generous to this letter as it was written 'after a day of rain & scirocco and sight seeing'. The news about 'Mrs Bertie' [Alys Russell?] has made them 'pretty indignant, and supports Helen's opinion of the character of 'P. Smith' [housekeeper at Beaufort Street?]. Bob, with his 'horror of moving & doing household things' will suffer; perhaps he should stay at Welcombe. Jokingly suggests then 'retract[s]' the idea that Bob should 'spend three years choosing or educating a wife'. Thanks Bob for all he 'did about the picture'; he and Mrs W[iddrington?] have been marvellous about it. A confusion over Taormina involving [Alfred?] Thornton and [Francis?] Bate. Never got chance to continue with the Galatea picture, but hopes he might yet finish it; has done 'lots of studies of seaweed etc', and Goldie [Dickinson] has seen the painting and likes it.
He and Helen had 'rather a serious time' when his parents came; they arrived a day early with 'all the other people whom we'd offended, including Ezekiel'. The talk was 'geological' rather than 'the wild orgies of the [Terence?] Bourke regime & the fierce gladiatorial shows... of [Bob's] reign'; assures Bob that their arguments do not matter; means to find out 'what it is that annoys some people so much in my way of arguing). His father was 'very nice' and got on well with Helen; his parents took her off on a driving tour of Etna while he himself stayed to work. Tells of visiting 'Mrs C' [Florence Cacciola Trevelyan] with his parents, and being menaced by her dogs. They went several times to see the Gramonts [Grandmonts] and had some 'splendid music', with ' more kindly scandal from Mrs G.'; they are nice people. Not enough time to tell of their 'quaint adventures at Pestum and Agropoli', and Pompeii, 'the apotheosis of shoddy' and so quite loveable, as 'immoral as the Brighton pavillion [sic] and as charming as a Japanese toy'. They stopped there a week at a 'filthy inn' where Goldie, [Nathaniel] Wedd and [Augustus Moore] Daniel came to stay: Daniel great fun, Wedd 'cussing & swearing because its not England'; got on 'splendidly with them'.
He and Helen are now staying in Santa Lucia; he goes out in the morning to buy bread and ricotta at street stalls, and milk straight from the 'street cows'; they have been up Vesuvius. Reassures Bob about his poetry: he and many others have 'betted heavily' on him so he must 'make a success of it'; is sure he himself will, having been just where Bob is; 'one comes though by mere pigheadedness'.
Hotel de la Place, Veules, Seine Inférieure. - Asks about Trevelyan's new home: Roundhurst sounds 'almost baronial', and Fry does not think it is time for 'another Abbotsbury & mediaeval revival', though a mail coat 'like Mr Chainmail' [in Thomas Love Peacock's "Crotchet Castle"] would suit him. He and Helen are both very happy; they are reading [Flaubert's] "Bouvard & Pécuchet" together and he is reading Wilhelm Meister in French translation. They drank a bottle of wine last night in honour of Trevelyan's letter (cider is their usual drink) and Helen vowed to dive headfirst into the sea if the weather was calm: she did this today to much admiration. It was very hot in Italy, and hard to travel; they have come to France to 'get fat'. Describes their time in Venice, where they both did much work; they then stopped at Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia, Bergamo, and Saronno; Fry got to know the Verona and Vicenza artists. Has done a lot of studies, and has started to think about Trevelyan's fan [?]. Is delighted Trevelyan wants to buy his picture ["The Valley of the Seine"] which he thinks the best thing he has done so far. Does not agree about [Thomas Sturge] Moore's "Woodstock Maze". Asks about Pan in Trevelyan's 'fan poem', with a sketch of the god. Is sorry Cyclops has 'escaped' Trevelyan [a reference to Trevelyan's "Polyphemus"?]. Is not sure whether he can take up the invitation to Wallington: may go to Newton [Newton Hall, home of the Widdrington family] to alter some of his portraits there and give some lectures in Newcastle but his plans are vague: depends on how quickly they find a house. Trevelyan must visit them after his trip to Bayreuth.
A paragraph written and signed by Helen Fry in the middle of the letter thanks Trevelyan for his letter and assures him that she and Roger are happy and 'just the same'; she is glad he likes Roger's picture.
29 Beaufort St, Chelsea:- Has seen his mother's letter to Charlie; is glad to hear the journey 'has been so far so delightful'. Wonders if they will go on to Ravenna; since the weather is fine, he hopes they will. Once had 'an hour' in Bologna, 'chiefly a flying visit to the gallery'; thought that it 'with its collonades [sic] and fascinating though somewhat ugly towers seemed quite unlike any other town in Italy', and would have liked to see more of it.
Hopes to see Charles today: has not seen him for a long time. Bernard Shaw came to dinner with them [Robert and Roger Fry] recently: they had 'the greatest difficult in getting him to eat or drink anything', and he would 'scarcely eat' a risotto they had 'specially prepared for him, because he detected a flavour of animal gravy in it'. Shaw 'made up for his fastidiousness by talking the whole evening', and Robert 'was very glad to listen'; has written a one act play about Napoleon [The Man of Destiny, first performed in Nov 1897], and has been 'studying military history for some time'. Robert thinks he ought to 'turn out something original in the Napoleonics'.
Roger has 'practically finished his portrait of Mrs W[iddrington?]', having 'considerably altered the face' since Robert's mother saw it, 'when it was very unsatisfactory'; Robert now thinks it 'very good'. To Roger's 'great amusement', the 'O. B. [Oscar Browning]' has commissioned a portrait from him.
Saw the Holman Hunts last Sunday; they were 'charmed' by the flowers his mother sent them. The 'old boy is painting a picture which promises to be the ugliest he has yet done. It has great merit in many ways, but in his old age he he seems to have lost all idea of what combinations of colours are beautiful'. Is going this evening to a 'Mottle concert [one conducted by Felix Mottl?]': has not heard except the Mikado for a 'dangerously long time*. Hopes his father is 'enjoying himself, and is reading his Dante regularly'.
Hitchin Croft, Churt, Farnham (a house kept by the late Liberal candidate for Hitchin [John Wattridge], who is now Conservative agent here). - Felt he needed to rest on Sunday so instead of visiting Trevelyan they read Goldie [Dickinson's] dialogue in the sun. Has been to London to work on his lectures and see about the house. He, Mrs Widdrington and a cabinet maker have been again to see if there is any dry rot but it passed the test and he will now try to get it. The news from R[oe]Hampton [of Helen Fry] is good but there is little change, and Dr Savage says she is unlikely to be much better for months. Asks Trevelyan to tell Berenson he will visit his hotel next Wednesday and apologises for not seeing him on Sunday. Asks when the final proofs [of Trevelyan's "Mallow and Asphodel"?] are coming out; hopes he will become very learned about the Oxford drawings.