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Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad that the work [on the new house] is going on 'so steadily and quickly' and that Miss Waterfield [artist and horticulturalist, sister of Aubrey Waterfield] likes the site and view so much. He and Caroline are hosting 'an immense young dinner party today': George, Janet, and Dorothy Howard from Wallington; Charles and Mary, [Francis Dyke] Acland, Hilton Young and Gertrude Bell from Cambo. Wishes Elizabeth could 'carry out her kind wish about old Mrs Thompson of Harwood [see 46/99]'. Has written to instruct the second five hundred pounds to be paid; gives advice not to sell stock in the last ten days of the quarter.

Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - He and Bessie went over to the house yesterday with Mr [F. A.?] Richards, the architect, and Miss [Helen Margaret?] Waterfield, a 'garden specialist', to get ideas about the garden; they will probably have to do some planting and digging next month 'to make a beginning'. Work on the house had 'got on very fast', and the roof will be begun in two or three weeks; they hope this will be 'before the rains come'. Bessie is telling Sir George about the payments, which will be due earlier than Richards had thought. Before they go abroad, they will have to 'make arrangements for selling what stock is necessary for the rest'.

The weather has been 'very fine for some time', but is more unsettled now. Neville Lytton, the painter, is coming over today from Horsham. Wishes his mother could have seen Lytton's exhibition in London this summer; he 'is certainly among the most promising young artists nowadays', and Robert thinks some of his watercolours especially good. Does not care as much for some of his oils, but there is 'always something interesting in them too'; perhaps some of Lytton's admirers 'praise his work too highly', but Robert is sure he will 'do very well in the end'. He is a 'great friend of Fry' who is older and has 'helped him a great deal' with advice. [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson is also coming to lunch today. Fry says he will come on the day of the Dolmetsch concert if he can; Mrs Fry, who 'has had scarlet fever very badly, is getting better, despite a severe attack of rheumatic fever'.

Bessie may well go abroad for about a week on the 29th, after the concert. They have not yet heard from her young friend Hylkia [Halbertsma] whether she can come abroad with them, but they hope she can: she 'would be a very good companion for Bessie, and she is a nice and clever girl'. They are looking forward to seeing Caroline next month in Dorking or London. Sends love to his father, and to G[eorge] and J[anet], whom he hears are at Wallington.

Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - Thanks Sir George for his letter; delayed answering it for a few days as they wanted to see their architect [F. A. Richards?]. They went over the site with him yesterday; he seemed to think the work was 'progressing very satisfactorily', and that the next bill might be due some time next month. They would therefore be 'very grateful' to Sir George if he could 'pay in the other £500'. She will have to see about 'providing for the rest in the course of next month'. The walls of the ground floor are up and the first floor is now being raised; the architects are pleased with the builders and think them 'careful workers'.

It was 'most interesting' to go over the site with the architect and "Miss [Margaret] Waterfield, a great gardening authority': they 'roughly planned the laying out' and decided what should be done before the winter. Miss Waterfield was 'delighted with the view and the site & thought it might gradually be made into something very beautiful & original, as the ground is so irregular & full of beautiful trees'.

They were 'very sorry to hear about Mrs Thompson's accident [see 11/153]; wishes she could go over and play the violin to her 'while she is laid up which might cheer her'. Sends her love and Robert's.