Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - Hopes his parents had a good time at Welcombe. He and Bessie were 'very glad' to see his mother in London: they had a 'pleasant evening with her, and at George's the next day'. They are going to London again tomorrow, and Robert will 'arrange about the publishing of [his] new play [The Birth of Parsival]'; in the afternoon, they will see Marlowe's Faustus, performed by the Elizabethan Stage Society. Bessie is well, and they are enjoying the weather and countryside, 'which is very beautiful this autumn'.
The situation with Russia [the Dogger Bank incident] 'seems very bad, especially this morning'; however, he thinks the two governments [Russian and British] will find a way to 'settle the matter, especially as the French government seems very anxious for peace'. Thanks his father for returning Dmitri Roudine, and is glad he found it interesting; perhaps it is 'not a perfect novel', but Robert thinks he likes it 'almost as much as any of Turgeneff's'.
They went last week to stay for two nights with Aunt Meg [Price] at Pen Moel, and had a 'very pleasant visit'; Robin was there 'and seemed much improved, though still very shy'. A 'young Trinity man' is there as his tutor, whom they liked. Also staying was 'Lady Macdonald, the wife of the Canadian "Dizzy" [Sir John Macdonald]'; she was 'rather amusing for a little, but not for long, as she is really very vulgar, though quite a kind good-natured person'. Reminded him of 'characters in Dizzy's novels. Perhaps she modelled upon them'.
Bertie Russell has been staying for two days and was 'very cheerful, as he is getting on now quite well with his work which is to revolutionize mathematics'; he 'got stuck' for almost a year and 'could not get on at all, which together with the Fiscal controversy depressed his spirits very much'. Sends love from both himself and Bessie to both his parents; Bessie thanks his mother for her letter.