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2 November 1922

La Prieuré, Fontainebleau, Avon

Dearest Father,
I have been thinking of you so often this month as it is your birthday. I hope you have a very fine day for it; I can hardly imagine a more enjoyable gift. It was most delightful to hear from you at Port Said and to know that your voyage, as far as climatic conditions were concerned, was so far successful. I only hope the blue sky and sea continued.
I have a minor misfortune to relate in connection with my second series of X-ray treatment. This time almost immediately my heart began to play up and after two applications I could hardly move at all. I felt extremely ill and disappointed, but it was out of the question to continue. But my black cloud showed what is apparently its silver lining quite soon. I got into touch with some other Russian (Russians seem to haunt me) doctors who claim to cure hearts of all kinds by means of a system of gentle exercises and movements. They are established at Fontainebleau where their method is put into practice. So down I came to concentrate (as old V. would say) on my heart for the next few months and then to see what I can do with my wings. Its very unlucky that I always have these chapters of accidents to recount but, you know, dearest, I feel they are in the picture for me for the moment. [To Harold Beauchamp, 2 November 1922.]