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Prinsegracht 10, 's Gravenhage. - Encloses a 'project' of Robert's marriage contract; is also sending one to Robert's 'dear father'. It comes from the advice and work of their family notary, M. Eikendal, and Hubrecht's friend Vlielander Hein the 'first lawyer at our Supreme Court', as well as his own after consultation with M. [Thomas] Barclay in Paris, whom Lord Reay recommended as 'the best authority on international law'. According to Dutch law, the contract must be made before the marriage and is 'considered to be irrevocable'. They could not make out how a particular English law should be referred to, so Robert should ask his lawyer for the correct wording. Hopes to hear from Robert next week so that everything may be addressed when he comes to the Hague at the beginning of May. He should not stay in England longer than necessary: time is 'running so hastily', and it will be good to see him and Elizabeth together for as long as possible. She went this morning to Almelo, and will return next Wednesday. His wife's health is now improving daily, and the sunshine is 'brilliant', a 'delicious omen' for Robert and Elizabeth's marriage.

10 Prinsegracht, Hague'; addressed to Bob at The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Thinks Bob's arrangements about the piano 'quite perfect & quite the nicest we could have' and trusts the 'professional friend' to choose the upright one. Would like to write and thank Bob's aunt [Margaret Price] for her present, so asks for her address. Thanks Bob for sending the table measurements, as well as the lock of his hair, which she will keep in his "Pilgrim's Progress". Describes a dream she had about him, and another about Dr [Empedocle?] Gaglio - probably as Bramine [Hubrecht] had mentioned him in a letter. Sorry that Sanger is still unwell and the likely cause [love]; he is 'the last person who ought to be treated like that'; asks if 'the lady in question is Miss D. P. [Dorothea Pease]'.

Confesses Bob's jokes about regretting not being able to go to Greece with his friends any more made her cry; she has often been anxious that he will lose a great deal of freedom when he marries; surely he will be able to talk as freely with his friends after they marry; she would like to go to Greece with him. Glad Bargman gave good advice [about the house]; hopes 'dear little Gussie [Enticknap]' will not make too much noise. Her uncle's lawyer has not yet heard from the 'Paris oracle Mr Barclay' about the marriage. The Grandmonts likely to be there; so now thinks they should fix the wedding for Whit week and will write to Bob's mother if her agrees; asks if he has a preference about the day; suggests not Wednesday as then 'all the servants are married together & there usually is a great rush'. Interrupted by a visit from her friend Anna de Ravity [?], with whom she had a good talk; Anna 'talked most sensibly about the [Second Boer] war' and is 'disgusted' by the general wild anti-British sentiment here. Is going to see her sister Marie in Rotterdam tomorrow. Tells Bob not to leave his books and manuscripts around, or 'the wood nymphs' might steal them; would write a poem on the subject if she could; wishes they lived in the time of the "Arabian Nights" so she could use a magic carpet or flying trunk to come to see him.

10 Prinsegracht, the Hague'; addressed to Bob at The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Sorry that Bob has a cold; he should 'choose a better way of showing [his] sympathy' with her. Discussion of comforting and sharing things with each other. Bob will have received her uncle's letter; thinks he is right to advise waiting to write to Sir Henry Howard [British ambassador to the Netherlands] until they hear from 'the Paris oracle' [Mr Barclay; see 9/40]. Hopes Bob has a good Easter with his friends; he must decide whether to go to Salisbury Plain rather than Borrowdale [for their honeymoon] as she does not know either place, and just wants the place to be 'retired from tourists... real country'. Describes Bob's enthusiasm for Flaubert and a performance by him from "La vision de St. Antoine" while they were sitting by the edge of a wood. Charming of [Bob's brothers] Charles and George to think of giving them a box to hold music. Spent a long time yesterday working on her will; it will be almost the same as her sister's. Will go to Amsterdam on Saturday if her cold is better to hear a Brahms chamber concert and have another lesson [with Bram Eldering]. Has read a great deal of "Wuthering Heights"; it is 'tremendously fierce & powerful'. Asks whether Bob has copies of certain books, if so she will leave them behind or give them to someone. The Boers have suffered a great loss with the death of Joubert; asks what the feeling is about it in England. Has had to order more photographs of Bob as she has given so many away. Scolds him for not spelling the name of the place where he lives correctly.

10 Prinse[gracht], the Hague; addressed to Bob at The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Hopes Bob enjoys his week in Cornwall; asks if Crompton [Llewelyn] Davies is going too. Is very sorry to hear about Mrs [Helen] Fry's illness; even a slight attack of pleurisy is serious, and it shows how weak she is, at least about the lungs; the amount she smokes cannot be good for her. Thinks the measurements of the box for music [see 9/42] are quite right; asks if the partitions could be taken out to give more room. Will write to thank George and Charles [Trevelyan]. Went to Ambro [Hubrecht]'s lecture about the evolution of the eye last night, 'interesting but hard to follow'. Will talk to her uncle this evening about the wedding since the answer from [Thomas?] Barclay, the Paris lawyer, has come at last; it seems the consul must be present; has had 'another wretched discussion' with her uncle about whether the consul should be invited to the wedding breakfast, which she does not want; her aunt has now talked her uncle round in secret. Has been reading an article in the "Revue de Paris" on 'Flaubert et l'Afrique'.