12 January 1922

Chalet des Sapins, Montana-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

                       Thursday.
My dear Sydney
   I am deeply grateful to you for everything in your last letter. Your criticism of my work is most precious to me; there is no other word near enough to describe the feeling. Your understanding, so true and so sympathetic is an encouragement in itself. It would be grief to me to displease you. I hope one day I shall write a book which I may wholeheartedly give to you and Violet - on the title page. But it will be the book after my next - a novel.
   I look forward most eagerly to your story. I suddenly put my long story aside and wrote a short one this week which I am tempted to send you. But perhaps it is not worth sending.
   I think I do know what you mean by ‘friendship'. It is strange I always silently acknowledge the fact that you have one friend. Its as though you carry him with you, within your breast. I think I never see you without being reminded immediately of that other, even though no word has been spoken. This seems to me inevitable.
   It is more and more difficult to me to write letters. Once I begin there is so much to say that no letter could contain it. I want to answer, too, not only your letter to me but yours to Jack as well. I am very glad he sent you the proofs of his article, I wanted you to see it. I felt you would be in agreement with much he has said.  [To Sydney Schiff, 12 January 1922.]