Item 13 - Letter from Elizabeth des Amorie van der Hoeven to R. C. Trevelyan

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10 Prinsegracht, The Hague. - Put off writing last night as she would have been 'too melancholy' after their parting; the last fortnight has been the happiest time of her life and it was very hard to say goodbye; thinks 'a kind of pride' stopped her showing most of it, but after dinner she 'indulged in a luxury of a good cry' in her room. Has sent on his mother's postcard, adding 'a morning greeting', and also forwarded two other letters which will probably reach him at Milan. Has done accounts and been on some errands, including to the shop where they 'met so unexpectedly the first day of [Bob's] arrival' to buy writing paper; then met 'some Hague prigs' who wanted to know all about Bob. Had to go to the hospital to see the 'poor man whose name [she] didn't even know' about whom they had written from Ede; he is a 'poitrinaire' [consumptive] and it seems will not recover; struck by thoughts about illness.

Jeanne Salomonson Asser arrived after dinner; she is 'very sweet' and she is glad to see her, but she cannot help feeling the difference between her and the 'former continual occupant of this room [Bob]'. Ambro [Ambrosius Hubrecht] has sent her a 'very stiff dull Dutch medical essay' to translate into English as the usual translator is ill; difficult as she does not know many of the scientific terms, but she must try. Ambro wrote in his letter that all four of them [his family] had got to like Bob very much and felt 'warm affection' for him.