Item 9 - Letter from Edwin Montagu to Venetia Stanley

India Office, London.—Responds to her accusation of priggishness, and protests that he would never say anything derogatory about her. He enjoyed their lunch together.

TRANSCRIPT:

India Office, Whitehall, S.W.
May 3rd 1911.

Dear Miss Stanley

You ask me a question about my annoyance. Well this is my answer.

I did feel unhappy & slightly guilty conscienced {1} about your accusation of priggishness & Heygatetude when I thought you made it—because if I allowed myself to think of such things I cannot acquit myself of being a bit of both!

But I was most unhappy that even for a half jest you should have thought I said anything to Violet or to any body else which might by any chance appear to have seemed to reflect on your—well on any of your characteristics.

You have been so wonderfully good to me (what a pleasure to express what I should like to know how to express) that I should become tedious if I repeated my real conversation about you. But its never derogatory or other than enthusiastic! Thats true and so please now understand that as its true I shall expect you to believe it notwithstanding snippets allegations or anything else. Violet never has had the chance of repeating unpleasant things about you said by me. They havent and couldnt exist.

I enjoyed lunch enormously. She did amuse me. You may be sure I will come again as soon as I think its in any way possible even if I’m as disgracefully late as I was yesterday!

Yrs very sincerely
Edwin S Montagu

Its an nawful letter this, but I’m awful pressed and its better than putting off writing.

—————

Black-edged paper.

{1} This is the probable reading. The word runs to the edge of the page and is partly written over the black edge of the paper.