Pièce 97 - Letter from Sophie Weisse to Elizabeth Trevelyan

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Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Arrangements for Donald [Tovey]'s visit to the Trevelyans; is very glad he is going to them, as the excitement over what she begins to think 'is a disastrous "Professorship" [at Edinburgh University]' has made him ill again and nothing is better for him than their 'quiet company'. He has been rushing around, to Edinburgh and then to the Plymouths at Cardiff, and is now back 'looking ill as can be' and 'full of grievances' against her, which is better than Dr Stanford like the last time. He has broken his promise to her not to take up the Professorship until after the German concerts; nobody except 'stupid old Niecks' thought he would take it at once. Is sure he will not practise or take good care of himself; angry at the thought of him being 'entrapped into two lectures' a day except Friday; it 'is in the Tovey blood to allow yourself to be made cheap'. Sigmar told her the music students 'mostly young women, are the worse sort of amateurs'; is sure Donald will tire of it before long; the real misfortune is his endangerment of 'this splendid chance in what is his real field'. Regrets the chances he has already thrown away. Will send a bottle of his new tonic and asks Bessie to give him two doses a day. Wants to Bessie before leaving for her holiday and will try to do so next week; a postscript notes that Donald's symphony is still not rewritten.