May 1885) Oakdene, Guildford My dear Thanks for your note and Geo. Howard's list of the sale. I am glad to find that my Uncle got two of the pictures - Fides1 - and Sperantia2 - not one only as I fancied - the other two3 Lady Lloyd Lindsay4 has got. I believe there were several other aspirants - George Howard, Cyril Flower,5 Mr Benson6 and that Agnew was to act for them all, but he valued the pictures too low and did not bid! As I told you some time ago I didn't want Agnew to see those at the studio because I had a pretty shrewd idea he would not value them high enough! I am so glad they have done well in Christie's for I feel now that I have a much better hand in dealing with any of the work than I had before. I think it quite likely you will have enquiries for pics in consequence but just you say 'oh dear they are all sold every one of them and I don't know anything about them but Graham does'! I hear Agnew has two pictures of yours7 coming from [Manchr.] for sale now but I don't know what ones. I wish it were the 'Love in the ruins'8 and I would get the refusal of it but more likely it will be lesser works. I think Agnew will be a more valuable ally to us hereafter than he has yet been and I have no pride and will make all the use we can of him. It will be so nice if you can run down on Saturday afternoon and dine with us and go home by a late but not too late train. I am keeping much the same - the Dr says I am better but if so I don't quite know wherein the betterness lies for I have pain almost always, and great bodily uneasiness but such a quiet sweet little home to rest in and be thankful for. Goodbye my dear Ever Yours afïy W.G. Monday 1 Vancouver Art Gallery. 2 Dunedin, New Zealand. 3 I.e. Caritas (private collection, West Germany), Temperantia (private collection, West Germany). 4 Née Blanche Fitzroy, wife of Sir Coutts Lindsay (founder of the Grosvenor Gallery) and cousin of Cyril Flower's wife, Constance. 5 Cyril Flower, later Lord Battersea (1843-1907), Liberal MP and patron of EBJ, in particular of The Golden Stairs (Tate Gallery 4005). See Lady Battersea, Reminiscences (London, 1922), pp. 174, 197, 312, and Wildman and Christian, 1998, no. 109. 6 R. H. Benson (1850-1932), merchant banker and collector. See pp. 184-85 above. 7 Unidentified. 8 Love among the Ruins , 1870-73 (private collection) was damaged and repainted. There is a later version in oil (Wightwick Manor). See The Reproductive Engravings after Sir Edward Coley Bume-Jones (Julian Hartnoll, London, 1988), p. 48.