... / clumsy barbarian. so that is where / you are - well now I am content - I / know you will be taken care of. / Though I have often urged you not / to write if writing is difficult or irksome / I cannot remember that you have once / waged a like ? on me - not once - / but to-day it is a bit needed, for / there has been an influx of visitors / as thick on the ground as if we / were in London. - and it is late now / and people still here - and not a / moment to write in. / Wednesday. / Rain again - gray sky - steady / drizzle. and people stayed on / & on yesterday - did you ever / meet a dear little ancient / friend of mine Sir John Simon -? / the brightest of the bright he was in former / years in the first wonderful years - / when we were in sets of three - Gabriel & Morris & me was one set. / & Gabriel & Swinburne & me was another / set - & Gabriel & Ruskin & me (for / a little time) was another set - & Ruskin & Simon and me was / another. his father was a French / man & so he calls his name French / wise - & is quite right - well, he / came yesterday, a sad melancholy / man, whom I could scarcely rouse / to one little smile, & grievously he / takes old age, and fights it and / quarrels with it - & pines to be young / so that his talk that was once / so good is wailing now & monstrously / ...