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10 Prinsegracht, s'Gravenhage; addressed to Bob at Pension Palumbo, Ravello, presso d'Amalfi, Italia. - 'Poor Gredel [Guye]' has failed; she is 'downcast', but 'very sensible' knowing it is a very hard exam and she can try next year. She and her family seem to like Bob very much. Is not sure about Bob's correction of her Italian. Notes that her letters reach him quicker than his get to her; discusses love letters; often wishes she could find new ways of expressing her love; would be good if Bob learnt Dutch so that she could write to him in it. Asks if he knows he sometime leaves out words, about two or three a page; when he wrote 'sea-sickness would prevent [him] from coming to see [her]', meaning the contrary, she thought she would have to give him up. Glad that Ravello has inspired Bob's 'poetic vein', as she sees in his letter. Unsure why Bob is surprised she showed his mother's photographs to her uncle and aunt, especially as he knows how everything which enters the house 'is enquired after'. Spent a very happy afternoon at Leiden on Thursday, seeing her cousin Louise [Hubrecht]; wants Bob to meet her as she is so nice; told her lots about him and left his poems ["Mallow and Asphodel"]. Went skating yesterday on the ponds in the wood, for the first time this year; wonders if Bob skates and imagines skating together. Went to see the 'poor man at the Hospital' [see 9/]13 again this afternoon, and got to know him much better; he told her that there was a man in the same ward who had earned his living 'travelling round the country with a crocodile, which he had left behind at his inn now' earning about 8 guilders, almost fourteen shillings, a week. If the weather is good tomorrow, will go to Amsterdam to see her niece Amanda Röntgen and congratulate her parents; now she is going to read [Sir George Otto Trevelyan's] 'Life of Macauley'; will also re-read [Joseph Henry Shorthouse's] "John Inglesant" so as to be reading it at the same time as Bob and able to discuss it with him.

Continues the letter next morning; has put off her visit to Amsterdam, probably till Tuesday. Ambro [Hubrecht] stayed the night after 'looking after his smelly whale [see 9/14] again'; they have produced much 'precious oil' from it, though it has been hard getting kettles big enough to hold the bones; he was 'very lively' and has sent Bob a bound copy of his American speech. Discusses [General Sir Redvers Henry] Buller's defeat at Colenso, and asks if it might effect a change in public opinion. Asks whether he likes the "Manchester Guardian", and whether it reaches him quickly. Asks if he has heard from [Lina] Duff Gordon or his 'Florence friends' [the Berensons?]. She has had a 'very nice letter' from Mrs Hartmann, the Danish lady, also from Miss Dahlrup who sends kindest regards. Looks forward very much to returning to Sicily together. Has also hear from Mrs van Riemdyk about Tonina's violin; they would never sell it but would loan it to Bessie, which is 'quite unlawful'. so Bessie has replied to say she is not interested and Bob's 'sweet, kind & generous gift... must come to nothing'. Has been reading an argument between the Brownings about duelling, which she discusses, as well as the possibility of Bob losing his temper with her and vice versa; calls herself 'a hasty-tempered vixen'. Finishes off the letter next morning; likes the poetry Bob has copied out for her, especially Blake's; the beginning of his letter is 'very naughty indeed', and he will get his 'whipping one day - women's whips are their tongues'; quotes a Dutch proverb translated into English. Hopes his host is better, and that the storms have passed.

Pension Palumbo, Ravello, presso Amalfi. - Filthy weather, as it has generally been since he arrived; has sent off his 'interminable commentary' on [Thomas Sturge Moore's] "Danaë", and has been reading Byron's play "Cain"; finds it 'surprisingly fine', though there are great faults, as in all of Byron; does not agree with Goethe's claim that Byron 'is a child the moment he begins to think'. Always pleased when he finds good things in Byron, as he is much criticised nowadays; people do not really read him, or 'only his inferior early things, e.g. Childe Harold'. Teases Bessie, pretending that 'an unconscionable young lady' keeps 'tormenting him with a stupid school-girl correspondence' and there is no telling where her reading of Plato may lead her. Is sorry that Bessie is having so bad a time with the dentist; best to go through with it in the end. Dined at Mrs Reid's last night, hearing 'local tales about brigands etc' and drinking good wine. They have 'some wonderful cats, the most beautiful [he] has ever seen'; would like to get 'one of the family some day'. Delighted to hear about [the birth of Bessie's niece] Amanda Röntgen; Bessie's aunt told him first, sends thanks for her letter. Copies out poems by Vaughn [sic: Henry Vaughan, "The Retreat"], and Blake ["Infant Joy"]. Will finish this letter and 'per-haps, as Grandmont says' send it by the early post. Is glad to have Bessie's photograph but wants the bigger one when she gets them.

Finishes the letter next day. Bad weather again; is not in good spirits as his host Palumbo is dangerously ill; Palumbo has suffered from the same paralysis before and may recover; he is a 'very good fellow' and Bob will be sorry if he dies; pities his wife and daughter. Has just read the news of the great British losses at Ladysmith; does not know whether this means the town has fallen, but it looks as though Methuen was not strong enough to relieve it; if Redvers Buller does not do better than Methuen, expects Ladysmith will fall in a few weeks and would wish that if it would lead to the reopening of peace negotiations, but this seems unlikely. Says Bessie 'deserve[s] a whipping' for interpreting his jealousy of the lovers in his carriage as a desire to hug his female fellow-travellers. Is very glad she likes the "Symposium" so much; discusses it briefly and suggests other dialogues by Plato she could read. Copies out Blake's "Infant Sorrow" and "Cradle Song". [His brother] Charlie's letter was very nice; is sure she will like him, and he 'evidently means to like [her]'. Reminds her that the new century does not begin until 1901. Glad her practising is going well.

Pension Palumbo, Ravello. - There is not sufficient paper in the hotel to answer her long letter as it deserves. Strange that he is not inspired to write Bessie love-poetry, but says he is 'not good at putting difficult and elaborate and wonderful thoughts into verse', which would be needed; will try one day. Sorry that Gredel [Guije] failed. Since he sometimes misses out words in his letters, Bessie need never be shocked by his 'wicked opinions' but can add 'nots' when she pleases and 'convert the sense to please [her] fancy'. Glad she is re-reading [Joseph Henry Shorthouse's] "John Inglesant". Sends her kisses "blown through the ether like waves of light or electricity'. Continues the letter next morning, copying out an extract about Shorthouse from a piece of paper in Mrs Reid's book an extract from a letter from Isabel Balfour; this recalls what his brother [George?] has heard about Shorthouse. The book reminds Bob of Pater's "Marius the Epicurean"; thinks one must have influenced the other; also thinks "Marius" the better book on the whole. Asks his waiter to settle their dispute about Italian grammar, which he does in Bob's favour. Returns to the letter in the afternoon: old Palumbo died this morning, and since his wife did not want Bob to leave, he is staying in a separate part of the house where he is 'quite out of the way'. News has just come that the Cappuccini hotel at Amalfi 'has subsided on a great part of it' and some people have been killed. Writes again in the evening having gone to see the landslip, which was as bad as the rumours; seven or eight people died, and 'part of the end of the hotel had gone'. The people say it is St. Francis' doing, "angry because his monastery had been put to base uses". Had never been to Amalfi before, though this is his third visit; not much to see 'except the people and the beggars', and the Cathedral is 'spoilt by restoring'. Palumbo was dying about the same time as the landslip, and the proprietor of the Cappuccini, a friend, was here comforting Madame Palumbo when the news about the hotel came. 'They say he almost fainted... [and] will probably be ruined, as no one will dare come to his hotel now'. Bob exerted himself greatly on the journey down to Amalfi and back and 'sweeted (in Grandmont language' despite the bitter cold.

Originally enclosing a 'charming letter from [Eddie] Marsh'; his 'first Cambridge friend' who works in the Colonial office 'though, like many there, he does not like the war'; gives a brief character sketch. Has also heard from [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson. Has not heard from [Bernard] Berenson, but has from [Mary] Costelloe, whom he just asked Berenson to tell; 'rather annoying', as he 'care[s] for Berenson very much, and dislike Mrs C.', though it was a 'perfectly proper letter'. Is very troubled by [Lina] Duff Gordon's letter: her wish for his happiness is 'unmistakeably sincere', as she always is, but her reply to his wish for them to remain as good friends is that since he told her nothing about this when he saw her 'constantly' in London last October, things can never be quite the same. It would have been very difficult to tell her, but feels that perhaps he should have done, not because she was an 'intimate friend' - the only one of his friends he told, 'for special reasons', was Fry - but because Mrs Costelloe had been spreading rumours that she was in love with him. Perhaps this was true, and he should have realised, although he does not think he gave her reason to believe he was in love with her; it is possible that Mrs Costelloe has stirred up trouble, as 'she has a great influence over Miss D. G.' and he believes her 'really to be a bad woman, though with many good qualities'. Is going to see Palumbo's funeral start for Naples. Writes again in the evening, after writing at 'my cliff, the Cembrone [Cimbrone]'. Quotes from a letter from Tom Moore: Moore thinks he will 'make a good husband' but spoil all his children. Has received Bessie's next letter, but not the photographs. He can skate, but not very well. Does not think Buller's defeat will make much difference to British attitudes to the [Second Boer] war; discussion of the war; does not think it would be good if all of South Africa were governed by the Dutch, would not object to 'an independent Dutch South Africa if it were well governed, and the natives treated properly' which currently happens in the Cape but not in the Transvaal. Methuen and probably Buller are not equal to the people against them, but this does not mean the English have fought badly; however, she need not worry that he is 'becoming Jingo'. Sorry Bessie has missed Tonina [van Riemsdijk]'s violin; when one good enough becomes available, will get it for her. They must visit Ravello together; Madame asked if they would come here on their honeymoon, which they will have to discuss; she intends to keep the hotel for some years at least.