The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - Is sure things will improve and she must not worry; as his mother says, 'it is really rather... a storm in a teacup'; it is nothing to compare to the happiness that will soon be theirs. Though he often fails 'through weakness and idleness', his life 'has been passionately devoted... to the best and most beautiful things which [his] imagination can attain to' and hers will be as well; lists all that will be good in their lives. Will write again to the consul [Henry Turing] if he does not hear from him today, since they need to know whether he can come on the 7th [June]; has also not heard from Sir Henry Howard, through whom he sent the letter; will send the second letter direct to Turing. There has been some delay at the lawyers about the settlements; has written to tell them to speed up. Bessie should tell him if he need do anything else regarding the marriage conditions her uncle sent. Thinks he may come over on 12 or 13 June. Meta Smith, his aunt Margaret's daughter, has sent a silver inkstand, and Mrs Holman Hunt a piece of Japanese silk. Had a good time at Cambridge: saw Mrs McTaggart, a 'nice quiet sort of person'; Tom Moore read his play and thinks it should come out well though he has pointed out 'some serious faults and suggested alterations'; Moore is going to give him a lot of his woodcuts, and has begun an Epithalamium for them, though since he has not got on with it says they should defer the wedding for a month. Asks what he should do about the Apostles' dinner; it will be 'quite exceptional this year', Harcourt is president and everyone will come; would very much like to go but will not break their honeymoon if she does not wish it. Very keen to go to the lakes eventually, but they could spend a few days before the dinner at Blackdown among his 'old haunts'; Mrs Enticknap's aunt lives in a farmhouse a mile from Roundhurst, which would be perfect. Hopes [Alice and Herbert] Jones' visit has been a success. [Desmond] MacCarthy is coming tomorrow for a few days and [Oswald?] Sickert on Sunday for the day. Will see [the Frys] this evening and discuss colours for the walls. Thinks [Charles] Sanger is very happy; is not entirely sure [about the marriage], since 'Dora has behaved so strangely', but everything seems to be coming right. Has ben reading Emerson on poetry and imagination and thinks it 'amazingly fine and right'. Most people think "Pères et enfants [Fathers and Sons]" is Turgenev's best book; he himself does not like the ending but finds the book charming; has heard the French translation, the only one he has read, is better than the German or English one - Sickert says so and he is half-German. Has ordered the trousers, and found the catalogue so will order the beds and so on next week. Glad Bessie got on with her socialist sister [Theodora]. has just had a note from Sir Henry Howard saying 7 June will suit Turing; she should let her uncle know. Does not think there will be further delay with the legal papers.
8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Originally enclosing a note from Dolmetsch; hopes Elizabeth will agree to play with him; she 'can join him in the Purcell' and perhaps play something 'after his program is finished'. Asks her to write direct to him and say if she can 'undertake the Sonata'. Hopes she will have a good evening with the Daveys [sic: Llewelyn Davies family?]. Going to Welcombe on Thursday. Would like to visit for lunch if Elizabeth and Robert are at home in the week of 17 June; Sir George says he wants to very much, and they are visiting Aunt Margaret [Holland] at Witley then. Aunt Annie [Philips] was here yesterday, and discussed arranging a visit to her by Elizabeth and Robert. Caroline hopes they will spend a fortnight at Wallington; would be best if Robert could come for the shooting. Annie is coming on 15 August for a week, and has Aunt Meg [Price] staying with her until the 12th. Hopes there is good news from the Hague [of Elizabeth's uncle]. A postscript says Elizabeth may stay the night on the 12th.
10 Prinsegracht, Hague; addressed to Bob at 3 Hare Court, Inner Temple, London. - Returns the samples of cloth, with comments on which she prefers for Bob's travelling suit; for his [wedding] trousers thinks he should find a light blueish grey cloth and encloses a sample of the colour she recommends; tells him not to get the coat of his travelling suit made too short as her aunt thinks he looks as if he is growing out of his old one. Has looked up the address at the British consul at Rotterdam, Henry Thuring [sic: Turing]; her uncle remains of the opinion that Bob should write to the consul and she agrees this is much more courteous; suggests he send the letter to Sir Henry Howard with a note informing him of their plans. Her uncle has been reading the marriage contract to her; it goes now to the notary 'for a last polish' and will soon be sent to Bob for his approval. Asks him to tell her when he does the shopping in London for the beds; discusses the things which his mother is kindly going to send some things from Welcombe. Will write to Charles and George [Trevelyan] to thank them for the music box. Goes for a lesson in Amsterdam [with Eldering] on Friday, and will stay the night with 'cousin [Gredel] Guye'; then goes to stay with an aunt at Hilversum till Sunday; will spend Sunday with her [half] sister [Theodora] who 'lives in the farm with her husband the socialist', and return to Amsterdam to [her sister] Mien, who has invited her to stay for the evening entertainment after Joachim's concert to meet him. When Joachim plays at the Hague next Friday, she will go with Alice Jones, who is staying a little longer than [her brother] Herbert. Cannot fit in a visit to Almelo [to see her friend Jeanne Salomonson Asser] and her other sister [Henriette] before May. Asks Bob to bring 'the gold spectacles' with him when he comes over. Tuttie [Hubrecht] is coming on May 17 or 18; her own birthday is on 21 May, asks if Bob could come before that. Encloses a newspaper cutting with a poem by Vondel's contemporary Hooft, translated by
The Hague. - Agrees with Bob that he should not come over till mid-May, and does not think her uncle seriously wishes him to come earlier; does not understand why he is having friends to stay and going visiting again if he wants to get some more work done, but is glad he is going to see them. Thinks there will be plenty of time for business or visiting; they might go to Utrecht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and would love to go with him to Heerde in Gelderland where her sister [Henriette] lives; will have to go there to see the children and her husband the doctor before she leaves, though her sister is probably coming to the wedding. Does not know where Bob left the bed catalogue; thinks she remembers seeing it last in Charles's room at Grosvenor Crescent; asks if they can order a softer mattress. Will measure her Dutch pillowcases tomorrow and send him the measurements; further discussion of fittings and furniture, and arrangements for packing and unpacking her things. Bob should ask his mother about what tie he should wear with his frock coat; Dutch husbands always wear white tie with their evening dress; thinks blue or green suit him if he is to choose a coloured tie. If the patent boots he wore to Roger [Fry]'s wedding are still good he can wear them again. Hopes he will soon hear from Mrs Pepper; 'what a name for a honeymoon lady!!'. Spent two nights at Almelo which were enjoyable but so hot she had difficulty sleeping; Jeanne [Salamonson Asser] very kindly tried to 'read her to sleep out of "Pilgrim's Progress"'. Then went to Amsterdam, where she helped Mien [Röntgen] arrange the flowers and table, before they went to the [Joachim] concert which was 'delightful beyond words'; they did a Haydn, Brahms and a Beethoven quartet. Then they returned for the supper party, at which '[Bob's] friend young Harold Joachim, the Oxford fellow' was present; he sat next to her at supper and seems a 'very nice fellow'; they had met once before at St Andrews when she thought him 'a strange odd person & was in great awe of him'. Thinks Harold wants her and Bob to come and see them at Haslemere when 'Uncle Jo' is staying with them; Bessie was at school with his sister. Tomorrow the quartet are in the Hague, and Harold is crossing by night so she has invited him to lunch. When healths were being drunk at the end of the meal and she went up to Joachim to touch glasses, he at once proposed 'Ihr Bräutigam' ['Your bridegroom']; he remembered that Bob's father had once taken him home in his carriage. On Tuesday she went to see her 'socialist sister [Theodora] and her husband [Herman Heijenbrock]' on their farm and enjoyed her day with them more than she had expected to; they are very happy together and she admires their convictions though they do not convince her.
Returns to the letter next day, before going to meet [Alice and Herbert] Jones. Is sure Bob would be 'amused' to meet the socialist couple, but he [Heijenbrock] does not know English so it would be no good. Then went to stay with the aunt who lives nearby; she is not a 'favourite' in their house and they do not see her often, but several of her sisters see her often; the aunt was very friendly but it is never pleasant to be there. Fortunately her daughter, Bessie's cousin, was also there. Found her uncle and aunt fairly well when she returned, but the house is in 'a horrible state' due to the repainting, and they both have a slight cold. Went to the station to meet the Jones and they did not appear; English visitors 'always change their plans at the last minute or miss trains... or don't wire in time' as is the case for the Joneses, who are now coming tomorrow. [Harold] Joachim also cannot come to lunch and is calling in the afternoon. [Joseph] Joachim is staying tonight with Mr [Nicolaas] Pierson, the Finance Minister, and his wife, who has invited Bessie to a select party this evening. Is going to the concert tomorrow night with Alice Jones; the Röntgens may also come. The cellist [Robert] Hausmann is 'a charming person, so refined and artistic'; talked to him the other night and he admired Bob's ring. Bob will get this letter when he comes up to London to see his father. She thinks he should bring any work she has not seen on their honeymoon, as they might not have much quiet time before the wedding. Understands that his 'literary ambition is not connected with [his] love' and thinks this is right. Last half page with pillowcase measurements.