23 October

23 October 1920

Villa Isola Bella Menton, France

Darling Bogue
You should see the colour of the sea today. Royal blue with (as Pa would say) crests on every wave! I've got your lunch with 0. [Ottoline] letter. Roquebrune isn't really near. Its near Menton but then Garavan is another bay and my villa is about 5 minutes from the pont which carries you over to Italy. Its at the extreme end & hard to find. However I bet she wont come. I dont care one way or another. Shes such un feuille mort to me. I am very interested in what you say about Gertler. I wish you'd tell me more if you can. Is Sorapure his doctor? What is his state? Its not really morbidity that makes me ask.
Precious, please don't feel pangs at my notes. I cant send them if you do. And if a thing is important I have to put a hand pointing to it because I know how sleepy you are in the morning & I imagine these devilish devices wake you or terrify you (pleasantly).
Yes, really the papers are disgusting. Rebecca West gave Jane Burr. a whole column with ‘Sorel' & ‘syndicalism' & ‘any-fresh-light-on-the-problem-of-marriage-is-to-be-welcomed' etc. She makes me feel a very old fashioned creature. I feel if I met her I should have to say: ‘And are you one of these New Women?'
Did you see that Connie Ediss has had the thyroid gland treatment (shes 50) and is now become 18 and climbs trees. I should just think she did climb trees. That seemed to me terribly significant. I remember her singing "It seemed a bit of alright" years ago. Poor old Schiff will become a great climber, I expect! Well dearest Love I seem a bit silly today. Its the wind. I feel inclined to sing:
"When I was young & had no sense
I bought a Fiddle for eighteen pence"
[Letter to J. M. Murry in Collected Letters 1920]