It is divine here and this villa is a dream. We went to Monte Carlo
yesterday and I won 300 francs and then lost it again. I saw hundreds of
people, _monde_ and _demi-monde_. Among the latter Celia Russell, having
luncheon with rather a gross-looking shiny financier. I asked who he was
and found out that he was Housman of Housman & Smith. Apparently C.R.
has been living with him for some time, ever since, in fact, L. went to
India. But the interesting thing to me is that Housman is the husband of
that beautiful Mrs Housman I told you about. M. knows them and knows all
about them. Mrs Housman was a Canadian, very poor, with no one to look
after her but an old aunt. He married her about ten years ago. Since
then he has become very rich. Carrington-Smith is now his partner.
Housman supplies the brains. They live somewhere in the suburbs and she
never goes anywhere.
I am not coming back till next Monday. I shall be able to stop two or
three days in Paris, very likely longer.
Yours,
G.