Item 189 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Caroline Trevelyan

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[On headed notepaper for 8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.:]- It may seem strange for him to write 'directly after [his] last letter]', but she will soon see why he has done so: she used to tell him that whenever he 'got into any serious row, of any kind', he should write to her at once, and he is 'acting on that now'. Does not have room to give all the details, including why Bowen 'had certain moderate reasons for supposing that [Robert] had not prepared', but Robert told him 'the plain truth' that he had; later, when he had more time, he explained to Bowen that he had not prepared the work at the end of the lesson so well, but at the point where he was 'put on' he 'knew it about as well as [he] could'. Bowen would not believe him, and said 'untruthfulness and lying were ingrained in [Robert's] nature', he was going to write to Robert's father

In the 'pupil-room construeing on Tuesday morning, Mr Bowen 'chose to think' that Robert had not prepared his lesson at all, and was 'simply making the Latin out' as he went; also that it was so serious a case that it 'would be no good to send [Robert] up'. He tried to remind him of 'certain other cases of [Robert] having been untruthful to him', but could not do so as he did not say what they were, and Robert does 'not think they ever took place'. The only thing Bowen 'could possibly mean was a row... at the beginning of term' in which Robert was 'completely in the right' as far as he can remember.

Bowen has said nothing more as yet, but Robert supposes he will soon tell the elder Trevelyans 'all his side of the question'. Is not angry with Bowen, but thinks he is 'entirely mistaken, and has formed too rash a judgment'. Robert has finished his fifth form verses, and is beginning his prose. Adds postscript saying he has just told Charlie about the business with Bowen.