Pièce 135 - Letter from Sophie Weisse to Elizabeth Trevelyan

18 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh. - Has spent many months in 'an amazement of sorrow' [after Donald Tovey's death]; has long wanted to write about him, even before he died, and 'it has been a horror of misery' to fear that she cannot; old age seems to have descended on her 'like an avalanche', and then there is the 'sadness and terror and knowledge of what was happening to Donald in these last fifteen years'. Has recently found a letter and enclosure to Dr Bluth in her writing table; Dr Bluth knows Lady Tovey 'did not like him', as she did not like Edinburgh, Donald having friends here, or Donald seeing anything of her. The doctor at Hedenham told her so many lies at Knaphill that she instructed him to leave: he and Lady Tovey 'killed' Donald. Has found Dr Bluth's address and will write. Not being able to write about Donald is the worst of her griefs since he died; will try, but hopes the Trevelyans will write a great deal too, as '[n]o one knew him better'. Is having a marble memorial slab put in Worplesdon Church, which Duncan [Donald's nephew] and the Rector Mr Chitty 'are glad of and like'. John [Wellcome Tovey] is now in the regular army, somewhere in the south west; he writes to her 'every Sunday in German' and sends her his laundry; grieves that Donald lost 'him too'; John is anxious about a German friend in Cologne, because of the bombing.