July 6 : /93 Darling Mary, / I was very glad / to see your writing again - / for your retirement to the / fastness of bed sounded so / remote. But, once there, / I wish you could absolve / yourself from making / any "plans", for they are / amongst the most satisfying / things to do. Forgive me / however if I suggest one, / only it would be to relieve / you of further thought. It / is that your / mother should / have a list of people you / want to see at all, & / then let them come to to you / one at a time in the / turn of their request - / and you, my pet, would / only be told "Such and such / a person is coming today!" / I am afraid I cannot / ask for a chance until / the week after next, much / as I should like it - / for I am expecting a / visitor who will rather tie / me - a girl. But after / that I shall apply either / to your mother or you - / whichever keeps the Registry. / I heard about you and / dear lettle Ego on Mon- / day from Fräulein, and / had a nice time, though / not the one I intended, / with her and Dorothy / and Guy Carlton. / I shall not trouble you / with questions, but go / to Belgrave Sqre. for / news of you & Ego, & / also of dear Madeline / & her little babe. / We have not fixed a time / for going to R'dean yet, but / I think it will be about the / end of the month. My sister / Aice (Mrs. Kipling) has / been staying here for some / weeks, while her husband / has gone to see Rudyard / in America. Alice has / to find a little house and / get it ready for her hus- / band's return. I believe / they are going to try / Tilsbury, from whence an / answer to her advertisement / came, & where she has seen / something she thinks may do. / - I feel a ? / of responsibility re- / moved now it is a fine day, / as many another must I / am sure. It will make all / the difference to such thou- / sands of people. I don't / know that I shall go / out at all, but all the / servants are going to see / the illuminations, & we / shall pic-nic on cold / chicken in their absence. / - Margaret told me / she had heard from you. / I hope she will see you / before I do, as I can't hope / for it very soon. She is so / thin just now - I think the / children pick her bones much / as she delights in them. / I can fancy you hav- / ing a visit from Ego, and how / glad you will be to meet. / Dear little fellow - it is time / for him to have a turn of / good health now, and I hope / after this last little oper- / ation he will get it. / I don't think I have any- / thing to tell you. The days are / full, but not of any special / events. Many people come to / the house - I don't go out oft- / en in the evenings. Edward / is working very hard - but that is no news. Tomorrow / evening however we hope to car- / ry out a plan made weeks / ago, & dine with the wonderful / old Signor Garcia and his / wife & daughters at the / Star & Garter! Fancy a / man of nearer ninety than / eighty being able to give a / dinner there to a large / party of friends. The girl / who comes to me next week / is half Greek half English, fair and good-looking. I knew / her parents before they were / married and have always / liked her. It will feel strange, / and pleasant, to have her in / the house. - But this is / chatter, and I advise you / to throw it away when read- / it is only to beguile 5 minutes / for you, dear. I wonder how / much they let you read, & if / I have anything you would like? / Your mother will tell me if / I have. / Take my dear, true love / for I am always yours. / G. B-J