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39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, 7. - Thanks for Bessie's letter. Thinks Dr Thin will write to de Souza. Is 'very puzzled' at what Bessie writes about Dr Bluth: does not understand what sort of treatment he means. Asks if it is 'drugs or... some form of phycoanative [sic]'. Dr Thin is not encouraging, and does not think Donald's condition will change much.

39, Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, 7. - Has waited before seeing [Edward] Renton before answering Bessie's letter, and he was 'in Edinburgh a whole week and more before he came here'; believes that he was ill for part of the time, and had been ill in London; he does not look well. He has finished two acts of the Opera, 'words and translation written in'. Schotts wrote asking for a score recently 'as Adrian Bolt [sic] wanted to look at it'; the first two acts are with the BBC and Renton has started on the third act though Clara is not sure how much has been done. Is sorry not to have good news of Donald: he is very depressed, having been sick three times in forty-eight hours after a fortnight of relief. Dr Thin seemed to think him better yesterday, and advised him to do more, especially since Donald wishes to conduct part of the next Reid Concert; this morning therefore he went out for the first time in over eight weeks, for a half-hour drive, but was sick as soon as he got in. Does not know whether the doctors know what is the matter; all they have said to her is that due to bad circulation his 'digestive organs are not properly fit'; they assure her he is better but she finds it hard to believe. Well enough herself, but longs for 'a little heat and sun'. Renton did not show Donald any of his work; when Donald asked about the score he received the information above; she has not seen Renton alone and does not like to upset Donald by raising the question.

39, Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, 7. - Donald got home safely; he is tired, but Dr Thin saw him on Saturday and is satisfied that last week's activity has not done him any harm. He enjoyed himself very much and Clara wishes she had been there; they heard the Cello Concerto very well on the wireless but the applause was cut off; Donald says she should mention that Molly [Grierson?] played the Brahms Concerto 'absolutely magnificently'. Last night his usual Sunday concert was transferred to St Mary's Cathedral - programme [originally] enclosed with the letter - which was 'packed', with 'hundreds' standing, and many people turned away. Is afraid Bessie will miss Mrs [Margaret] Vaughan Williams, since she visited her so often.

Hotel Black Barony, Edleston, Peeblesshire. - Is very sorry to hear of Lord [Clifford] Allen's illness. Donald is about the same, but she cannot tell from Dr Thin whether he is still improving or is at a standstill. He is very busy composing, which makes up a little for being forced to do so little; is now allowed to go to Edinburgh once a week, so is going in for rehearsals on the weeks there are no Reid Concerts. They will return to Hedenham at the end of the month and spend a quiet summer there. Dr Thin and Professor Ritchie agree that Donald is not well enough to go to Budapest, as he wanted. The composing helps Donald to stay cheerful; she hopes it will go on and that he will come to care less about the other things. He finished scoring the first movement of his Cello Concerto yesterday, and seems very pleased; wishes she understood more about such things.

Hotel Black Barony, Edleston, Peeblesshire. - All has gone well: they came to Edinburgh on 7 Feb, and Dr Thin saw Donald on Wednesday. He was disappointed with the progress he had made since September, though Dr Basden always said Donald's progress surprised him. Dr Thin saw him again on Thursday and Friday, and said the 'exertions on Thursday' had done no harm. They came to Peebles on Friday afternoon and like it; Donald is walking in the hills, and composing again 'in full swing', as he has not done for years; she thinks the long rest has done him good, however his heart is. Hopes Bob had a good winter in Italy.

'Mile End House, Englefield Green, Surrey' printed on the first sheet, but '93 High Street, Knaphill' written on the second. - Bessie has several times apologised for not addressing her by her 'Mus. Doc' title; she 'shrank from it at the time', and does not mind what she is called, but has to be 'careful to be "Doctored" because Donald [Tovey] cannot endure me to omit the "Dr". Dr Bluth is 'most kind... and very helpful' and his letter greatly distresses her; does not care about the violin concerto but cares 'everything in the world' about the recovery of Donald's hands 'so that some record may be left of his playing'. There is none, and Lady Tovey has 'lost' Sophie Weisse's entire collection of press notices; Lady Tovey intends to stay at Hedenham till the middle of January, a very damp spot and 'as Dr Thin indignantly says "you step down into the house from the grass"', while Lady Tovey 'may or may not be infectious'. Dr [Hugh Andrew?] Gordon Watson and his colleague in Bath told her they were anxious about Donald and believed that 'all his ill health' sprang from his association with Clara Tovey. Knows this is true, but in addition Hedenham is 'a fatal place'; wants Donald to 'come away altogether' and has offered them this house with she herself going to Edinburgh where she has 'arranged a complete bombproof shelter'. Also cares about the 'burden on Mollie Grierson', who has commented that it is 'like a miracle' seeing Donald 'straighten up the moment he has a conducting stick in his hand' but is struggling with all his work while her mother is ill after two operations. He will have to give up the Royal Terrace house; ought to live where Professor Niecks lived, near his classroom on the warm south side of Edinburgh; Lady Tovey bought 'the Royal Terrace house for a song: the owner having committed suicide'. John [Wellcome Tovey] writes that Lady Tovey is weak and therefore irritated, and there are rows [this in German] ; John may himself be rude; he also says Donald cannot play at all on the large piano, and they did so much for his hands at the Westminster Hospital.

93, High Street, Knaphill, Woking. - John [Wellcome Tovey] is 'idling away the time at Hedenham'; tells her 'rather confusedly' that Bessie has been there, and Dr Bluth or he is coming. She has 'kept quite aside' as she knows Lady Tovey too well and wonders only 'that Donald has not been destroyed long since'. Draws attention to the date of the enclosure [now not present] which she found last night; 'Dr Thin is the best and the doyen of... Edinburgh doctors', is 'devoted' to Donald and 'frankly thinks the worse of his wife' who he says does not tell the truth; he has been down to Hedenham at least three times and was about to go this year when Lady Tovey stopped him. Thanks Bessie for 'not consulting' her about kind efforts on Donald's behalf: she had 'better wait outside till [she is] called in' and is ready; writes with 'much affection and gratitude and trust' in both Trevelyans. Would not be surprised if the 'war just petred [sic] out. It is a politicians war and many of [the] best will have nothing to do with it'.

93, High Street, Knaphill, Woking. - Describes her visit from Donald's 'local doctor' [Dr Corbett], whom she describes as 'boorish and unprepossessing', to tell her that Donald was better as he had walked from his bed to his chair; could get no information from him about Donald's diet, and lying in bed is 'very harmful to him as it was to his father'. Told Corbett that Donald's doctor was 'a very distinguished Edinburgh physician [Robert Thin] whom she had asked to attend him, but Corbett replied that they had telegraphed to say he should not come as Donald was better; she herself pays Dr Thin's fees, and he says Lady Tovey hinders him in Edinburgh as she 'does not speak the truth'; told the Norwich doctor that she had no confidence in him. Regrets that John [Wellcome Tovey] is there when he should be with her, expects 'he is in love with the "Secretary"'. Has sent a 'Lebensgang [biography]' of Donald to Dr Bluth, especially the 'opinion of the two very able doctors at Bath about 9 years ago' who told her how anxious they were about him. Now must wait for Dr Bluth's conclusions; what he has written to her so far inclines her to think favourably of him. Will be 'a bore' for him to read all she has written, but it is better than having her 'talking excitedly at him'; hopes she may see him soon. Wonders what is wrong with Lady Tovey; her mother and aunt died of cancer; is 'sure she is very infectious'.

93, High Street, Knaphill, Woking. - Is getting ever more anxious about Donald [Tovey]; claims the many illnesses he has had recently 'derive from Lady Tovey' and is sorry John [Wellcome Tovey] is there; Lady Tovey has also stopped Donald's Edinburgh doctor [Robert Thin?] from coming. Says the doctor knows, as she does that Lady Tovey 'does not speak the truth'; her 'jealousy amounts to insanity'; when she was young and was jealous of the other girls 'she hid under the table and bit their legs'. When Donald escorted Sophie Weisse to the door and gave her a kiss on her first visit to the Royal Terrace house, his wife 'howled like a wolf and slammed the doors until the house shook'. On Sunday, Donald's Norfolk doctor, Corbett, came to see Miss Weisse against her wishes; she 'went into peals of laughter' and repeatedly assured him she had 'not the slightest confidence in him'. John writes today that they are waiting for Trevelyan's 'Austrian doctor' [Karl Bluth, actually German?] to make plans for Donald. Thinks well of the Viennese medical school, but demands to know who the doctor is, and what his qualifications are. Remembers that a lady she met recently at a wedding told her what a reputation Donald had in Vienna as a player, alongside people such as Joachim and Mandyczewski, and 'that Brahms when he was dying hoped Donald would come so that he might hear him before he died'. Says she 'must' see the doctor first, and will be at Hedenham when he comes; 'unless he comes here and entirely satisfies [her] - which seems hardly probable' she will do all she can 'to put him out of court'. Is thinking of coming to see Trevelyan tomorrow if he does not bring the doctor to her.

93, High Street, Knaphill, Woking. - Hears from John [Wellcome Tovey] that they are bringing an Austrian doctor [Karl Bluth, who was in fact German] to see Donald [Tovey] at Hedenham and therefore his own doctor 'an old and very distinguished man who loves him' has been sent back, having already started from Edinburgh . Will say nothing about that, nor will Dr [Robert?] Thin; 'daresay he knows Lady Tovey'. She herself has 'the most enormous respect for the Viennese medical school' and would welcome this doctor's examination of Donald as long as he 'knew all the circumstances': that until his second marriage he had never once failed to keep a musical engagement, but since then he has been 'constantly ill - chiefly in that damp hole Hedenham'. He has now lost the use of his hands [through arthritis]; she heard nothing of this until she came to Edinburgh in December and 'was stricken to the heart when he showed them' to her; always used to say that 'if Donald's hands were injured his brain would be affected', and now, 'among the meagre news of him doled out' to her she hears his brain is 'failing'. As recently as 'this last January' Lady Tovey and Miss Morah were saying 'it was just laziness if he did not practice'. Would be very grateful if Trevelyan could bring the Austrian doctor to see her here: 'Jew or Gentile' she would be 'full of respect' if he is what she knows Viennese doctors to be. She is not far away; describes the location of her 'little house'.