Pièce 78 - Letter from E. M. Forster to Elizabeth Trevelyan

1 sheet

King's Coll. Cambridge [headed notepaper]. - 'Delighted' that Friday 3rd December suits her for him to visit, 'What luck for me!'. Suggests coming on an early afternoon train from London; sees there is one which reaches Ockley at 2.13. Thought of suggesting himself for lunch at the Meades [Lionel Meade, rector of Abinger Hammer, and his wife?] on Saturday, then 'going on to the Hammer to see Bone and arrange about the felling of some trees in the wood' if he can. Will be at 9 Arlington Park Mansions from Wednesday to Friday; until Wednesday his 'Movements... err on the side of uncertainty (Other people's fault of course!)'.

Agnes was 'only paying a visit to Florence "as a lady"', and has now returned to her own flat; she seems to have enjoyed herself and 'laments' leaving '"just as she was finding out where all the things were kept"'. Currently, Florence is thinking of keeping on as she is until Harriet [her old maid] returns, as she may do one day. Thinks Florence would now be 'very pleased' to hear from Bessie about her news; she has 'taken up all her old employments [after the death of her sister]'.

Sends love to Bob and Bessie, is looking forward to next Friday.

Date added in another hand, Bessie Trevelyan's [?]; this looks like '_ 6 Nov 1948' but TRER/ADD/79, dated 22 Nov, was obviously written before it; probably the pen skipped and it should read '26 Nov'.