Since my last letter I have been installed. I am George Ayton's
Secretary. I sit in the office with another man, who was there before
and has been taken on, called Mellor. He is as silent as a deaf-mute and
I have no doubt is the soul of discretion. There isn't much work to do
and Ayton has got a real Secretary of his own who writes shorthand and
typewrites without mistakes and lives in his house. He writes all his
private letters and does all his business for him. He is not supposed to
do official work, but George brings him to the office all the same, and
he has a typewriter in the clerk's room and is always ready to do any
odd job. I find him most useful. He is still more silent than Mellor. I
haven't much to tell you. I have got into my new flat in Halkin Street.
It will be presentable in time. The pictures are up, but not the
curtains. Let us hope they won't be a failure: They were promised last
week but have not yet arrived. If you have time and are passing that way
I wish you would get me from the Bon Marché half-a-dozen coloured
tablecloths.
George has got a flat in Stratton Street. I dined with him alone last
night. We went to a Music Hall after dinner and heard Harry Lauder. His
sister, Mrs Campion, is in Paris. Perhaps you will see her. Yesterday a
lady came to the office to interview him and saw me first, a Mrs
Housman. Have you ever heard of her? I recognised her at once as the
subject of a picture by Walter Bell. Do you remember a large picture of
a lady in white playing the piano? Such a clever picture. I saw it in
New York at Altheim's shop, but I believe it was exhibited years ago at
the New Gallery. Well, she is far more beautiful than the picture. She
is not really tall, but she looks tall, with a wonderful walk, but I
can't describe her, she makes other people look unreal--like wax-works.
She was dressed anyhow and rather shabbily in black, wearing no gloves
but the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, a kind of double monogram,
probably old French. She came on business. I wonder who she is. She is
not a foreigner and not, I think, an American, but she is, looks and
talks, especially talks, not like an Englishwoman.