20 January 1922

Chalet des Sapins, Montana-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

  Jones [Ida] is waiting for this letter. I want it to catch the post. I have only begun to say what I want to say. About Paris. I cannot go just at present. I am still in bed and likely to remain there for a time. Congestion is a slow affair, especially at this height. The doctor, like all doctors, is a complete fool. I shall try and put off Paris until May. To meet there in May and to stay there (J and I will be there four months) would be nothing short of wonderful. I hardly dare think of it. Now I know Manoukhine is there I can bear to wait - I think I shall try. Hotels and journeys are a dread prospect in any weather - in this - even more -
  Forgive this haste and inadequacy - Read much more in my letters than is there - dear Sydney.
                        With my warm love to you both
                                                      Katherine
  [To Sydney Schiff, c.18 January 1922.]

Dear Mr Knopf
   Very many thanks for your letter. I am sending you by today's mail a set of corrected proofs of The Garden Party. I think they are in good order. I am only sorry that I did not know before that these proofs could be useful to you; I could have sent them six weeks ago. My reason for wanting proofs was that the London typist to whom I sent typed copies of MSS for her to duplicate only, took terrible pity on my spelling, and on the bad grammar used by my little children. I only discovered this when I received my English proofs, the original MSS had gone off to The Mercury.
   I fully appreciate all you say about the advisability of English and American editions of the same book appearing at the same time. But I am a little bit helpless personally. If Constable were to delay my book after February it would be swamped in the spring floods. Its only chance is to appear before March; and it has been announced so often that I don't feel I can even suggest a postponement this time. They are bringing out a limited edition of signed copies, too. But that wont affect American sales . . .
   I shall see that my next book is submitted to you at the earliest possible moment. But that does not help this one, does it? I am truly sorry. It seems to me the best idea would be to have the American edition published before the English one. I hope this can be arranged with my third book.
   With kind regards to you and Madame in which John Murry joins me.
                    Yours sincerely
                 Katherine Mansfield [To Arnold A. Knopf, 20 January 1922.]