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10 Prinsegr[acht]; addressed to Bob at the Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Thanks Bob for his letter. Is afraid her aunt is not as well as she first thought on her return. Has had several morning callers, including 'the old lady who used to have the snow in her head'. whose daughter would very much like to come and be their maid, and a little girl for whom Bessie once arranged a stay in the country when she was ill, bringing a wedding present she had made. The farmer from Leiden also came; her uncle is advising her to sell all her landed property before she becomes 'a foreigner' on her marriage, or she will have to pay a heavy tax to do so. Her husband has suggested that the money she gets for it should be invested in the house which her sister wants to buy. Asks if Bob has finished "Arne" [by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson?]; she has not, as she is finishing [Charlotte Bronte's] "Villette" which 'however silly & absurd in parts interests [her] immensely'. Had some bad dreams last night 'about bombs & suicides & fires in a great hall', after reading about the bombs and the fire at the Théatre Français in Paris, and the fire at the theatre in "Villette". Glad Bob saw [Thomas Sturge] Moore and had a good talk, and that he feels up to more work; he should tell her how he gets on and if her gets any more German done. Discussions of furniture and decoration for their house; asks Bob to send a sample of the green colour [Roger] Fry recommends for the drawing room. Thinks they must give up the idea of buying a new violin for the moment until she knows she can practise and get some lessons; she can always sell some shares if a valuable instrument becomes available as it would be a kind of investment, and probably more than their yearly allowance.

Her uncle and aunt have no objection to them marrying Whit week, and agree 'wonderfully' on most things about the wedding. She and Bob need two male witnesses of age settled in the Netherlands: she can have her uncle and [Julius Engelbert] Röntgen and Bob can have Ambro [Hubrecht], but she cannot think of another near kinsman she would like to be present so they may need to ask [Abraham?] Bredius or another neutral. To the wedding breakfast, would like to invite on her side her uncle and aunt, the Grandmonts, Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht], all the Röntgens, the four Hubrechts [Ambro's family], Louise, and her eldest sister Marie. Asks whether any of Bob's friends would like to come, perhaps combining it with a 'little tour through Holland'. Has been cycling in the woods every afternoon, enjoying the sun but getting stiff legs; is reading a few pages of Bob's "Pilgrim's Progress" every night before going to sleep. Knows the painter [Dirk?] Jansen by name, a good teacher at the Hague Academy but she does not care for his paintings either. The Luzacs called to see her uncle and aunt when she was out; he seemed to like Bob. Likes the letter from Frank Holland which Bob sends and the present he is going to give them, as well as the lines by [Laurence] Binyon.

Written 'in train Amsterdam - Hague'; addressed to Bob at The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Has had a nice day at Amsterdam and good first lesson with [Bram] Eldering, who is a 'charming man and excellent teacher'; will go again soon as next Saturday there is a Brahms concert to which she will go and stay with her sister. Her aunt has been much better recently. Is just passing 'the famous bulb fields', although there are no colours yet except some yellow and purple crocuses. Has been talking with the Röntgens about the wedding day. Tells Bob off because she finds no letter from him when she arrives home. Tomorrow is going to see her sister [Maria] at Rotterdam, the district nurse, who came once to dinner when Bob was here; will also go and see 'old aunt of theirs... whom [she] hasn't seen for ages' and will show her and her sister their photographs. Has begun "Wuthering Heights", which is 'curiously fierce and bloody' but has not yet got far. Has just found a letter from Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht], asking her when she ought to come home; she will certainly return before mid-May when Bob may come. Tuttie says [Salvatore] Cacciola has 'made himself tremendously unpopular' with lawsuits against someone he accuses of lie; feels sorry for his wife [Florence Trevelyan]; Cacciola will probably come out of it badly but 'one can never tell with these Sicilians and bribery'.

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.

the Hague'; addressed to Bob at The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Has a bad cold and has lost her voice. Went to Rotterdam on Sunday to see her [half] sister [Marie]; they went to lunch with Marie's old aunt whom Bessie had not seen for years; she was so kind that Bessie feels 'sinful' for not visiting more often. The aunt tends to take Bessie's step [half] siblings view that the Hubrechts kept her and her sister Mien away from them, which is 'nonsense' but she understands it; has often been difficult for her and her sister to hear reproaches from both sides; Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht] is seen as the 'black sheep', but Bessie's uncle and Bramine have also been reproached; still, they all appreciate what her uncle and aunt have done, and everything is 'on a very peaceful footing now'. Marie is the 'neutral diplomatic one'. Ambro [Hubrecht] thinks that her uncle should not give a speech after the civil service; asks what Bob thinks. The evening before the wedding, when the Röntgens will probably be there, they will have 'music & fun - in Germany it is called; Polterabend'. Lula [Julius Röntgen] will not be able to attend as he is in Berlin for work. Is going to spend a quiet afternoon reading "Wuthering Heights".