His friendship with Roger Fry [presumably written to aid Virginia with her 'Life' of Fry; see also 17/85 and 17/97] in the days when they lived together at 29 Beaufort St between April or May 1895 and the autumn of 1896, when Roger married and Bob moved to Haslemere. Saw little of him before then, and 'knew next to nothing of art and artists', but 'no one could have been kinder in the way he introduced [Bob] to his world', or 'more patient of [Bob's] ignorance'. He was often busy with Extension Lectures on Italian art, and as illustration had 'already collected a great number of photographs' which was much harder then; thinks he had already succeeded D. S. MacColl as the "Athenaeum" magazine's art critic ; he did not therefore have as much time as he wished for painting, but 'worked very rapidly' when he could. He was painting 'several of his best early landscapes' and a few 'perhaps not very successful portraits'. One was of Mrs Widdrington, the 'sister [sic: actually mother] of Sir Edward Grey's wife [Frances]', who was a 'great friend' of Roger's and the mother of Ida Widdrington; Roger had been 'very much in love' with Ida not long before, but 'perhaps wisely, she would not marry him. She was a very vital and amusing girl, who loved hunting, farming and acting' and she and her mother remained friends with Roger for years. After that Roger 'had fallen very much in love, and none too happily, with Kate Kinsella (now Kate Presbitero)'; Bob thinks she 'treated him rather cruelly, not wanting to give him up altogether, and luring him back to her from time to time'. 'Fortunately (or perhaps in the end unfortunately) [because of her mental health problems]' he got to know Helen Coombe while he was living with Bob, and they fell in love with each other. Roger's parents 'strongly disapproved of his becoming an artist' - he told Bob that they had offered him a hundred pounds extra a year 'if he would promise never to paint from the nude', which he 'naturally refused' - and this made him fear they would not be pleased by his choice of wife, so he told them nothing about Helen 'for a long time...' [the rest of the draft is missing].
Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Thanks Robert for having taken so much trouble; wanted to show George Russell that he had looked into his question [about whether Macaulay was first to use 'tact' for a moral quality, see 12/273] properly, and has sent him Robert's letter. Encloses a cutting showing where Macaulay used 'cabful'; cannot yet identify the other quotation. [Walter] Runciman, his wife, and Edward Grey drove over yesterday for the day. Grey is 'tranquil and not unhappy in his retirement'; has had great trials, including the 'violent deaths of such a wife, and such a brother', his ill health, failing eyesight, and the destruction by fire of the house he loved; he is now 'most eager about books'
Says that reading Henry Sidgwick: a Memoir has made her look forward to her journeys to and from London in the train, and that it is as if she were living in Henry's company again. Wishes that she could talk to him again , and claims that a conversation with him was always 'such very special pleasure and interest....' States that the part of the book that interested her most were the earlier years of the diary. Expresses the wish to see Nora again, and asks if she will give them 'the chance of a visit again' when she can. Reports that she has been very busy but quite well. States that the death of Lady Grey has been a very great sorrow, and that she has spent much time with Lord Grey since the death, both in Northern Ireland and in London.