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Grand Hotel, La Croix de Cavalaire, Var - France. - Thanks his mother for her letter; expects by now she will have seen Bessie, who is 'still not satisfied' about Paul's health, and may take him to the seaside if it does not improve soon. Will stay here for perhaps a fortnight, as the weather seems likely to remain fine. Hopes his parents will enjoy London. Wonders what his father will find is happening about the Cacciola property [left to Robert and George in the will of Florence Cacciola Trevelyan]; thinks he himself has 'really ceased to be interested in it by now' and expects the same is true of Withers. The Fry children are not going to come to the Shiffolds, which is perhaps good since Bessie 'will have more time, and be able to have some guests'.

Is starting on a new play, 'probably for an opera', which is 'dreadfully' serious. Strange that he has had no reviews of Sisyphus, except in the Daily Chronicle and 'the Scotch and Birmingham papers'; does not mind, as 'people who are not reviewers seem to like it well enough'. [Bernard] Berenson has just sent him Heracles, 'a portentous dramatic poem 270 pages long', by George Cabot Lodge, 'the son of the senator'; does not know, 'after labouring through it, whether there is really anything in it', whether he is a youthful and rather crude genius, or only a clever bad poet' and wishes he knew Lodge's age: if Lodge is under twenty-five, Robert would call him a genius and think he 'would turn out... the American Robert Browning', as it much reminds him of Paracelsus, though 'not as masterly in style'. Unfortunately, is expected to give his opinion to the Berensons, who will probably pass it on to the poet, who 'seems to be interested' in Robert's own poems. At least Lodge has 'very few mannerisms, and even spells labour with a u'.

Is glad his father is well.

8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Glad Robert is having a 'satisfactory' time; they are enjoying occasional meetings with Bessy. Is going by car to Harrow for an outing, and will try to get acquainted with the Headmaster [Lionel Ford]. Thinks Robert's ["Bride of] Dionysus" 'stately and dignified', appreciating 'the conditions under which it is written [as a libretto for Donald Tovey's opera]. Has had a long letter from Charles Adams; it is 'sad about Henry [Charles Adams's brother, who had suffered a stroke] but not intensely. Roosevelt has written a 'delightful little prefatory notice' for [George Cabot] Lodge's two volumes of poetry, which Senator [Henry Cabot] Lodge has sent him; praises [Henry] Adams's biography [of George Cabot Lodge].

c/o Kidder, Peabody & Co., 56 Wall Street, New York; on printed notepaper for Tuxedo Park, P.)., New York. - Has read "Sisyphus" in print with 'much interest & some pleasure'; thinks this is the best thing Trevy has yet done, that he has attained an 'expressive' verse form, and from now on it will be 'a question of temperament and mind'. Has given his copy to the poet George Cabot Lodge, son of the Senator [Henry Cabot Lodge]: Trevy can have no idea how 'far away one is here from everything but the most sensational products of Europe', and even a 'cultivated fellow like Lodge' knows little of modern poetry in England, having 'never read a word of Sturge Moore's, or even Noyes'; 'happily' they agreed about those Lodge had read, such as 'Yates [sic: Yeats] etc'. Lodge had heard about Trevy and was 'eager' to read him, having himself recently published a 'quasi-drama', "Herakles", which Berenson will send Trevy in a couple of days. Following Trevy's advice, has got the Tolstoi edition published in England, and expects he will enjoy it; meanwhile is spending any 'serious time... for reading' in American history, particularly by Henry Adams, which he praises; Trevy must read Adams' autobiography, of which his father has a copy, one day. Saw [Hamilton Easter] Field two days ago in his 'watchtower' looking out over 'one of the most fascinatingly fantastically picturesque' views possible, 'New York in all its sublime monstrosity'; not surprising that Field loves it'. Hard to find a 'better cell' if one wanted a 'hermit's life', but as Berenson cares for 'contact [with his] fellow creatures' will not settle here: [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson probably more right than he knew when he said 'the one thing Americans lived for was "acceleration" and as Berenson though no longer wants to get to places half as much as he enjoys getting to them, this can 'never again be [his] home'. Is longing to return; expects they will be back in March and will let Trevy know in case there is a chance of meeting.