I spent Sunday in London and had luncheon with Lady Jarvis. She told me
the Housman _ménage_ was all upside down owing to Mrs Park, who refused
to let Housman see any of his old friends, insulted them all, and
quarrelled every day with Miss Housman, and insisted on her friends
being asked nightly to dinner--and what friends! Fast colonials, Lady
Jarvis says, and the dregs of the Riviera! Poor Mrs Housman is utterly
worn out. Mrs Park behaves exactly as if it were her house, orders the
servants about, complains of the food, and is always there! The result
is Mrs Housman has gone to Florence; she was to leave this morning and
she is going to stay there the whole winter. I did not know how George
would take this bit of news, but he knew already and seems, oddly
enough, in good spirits! Edith thinks he is fond of Lavinia Wray and
that he will end by marrying her, but Lady Jarvis does not agree,
although she said that his sister thinks the same thing. They can't
understand his being in such spirits otherwise. Last Friday we all had
dinner at George's flat. After dinner, so Lady Jarvis told me, before we
came out of the dining-room they were playing the game of saying who you
could marry and who you couldn't, and after mentioning a lot of people,
Godfrey Mellor among others, Freda Macdonald said: "George." Lady Jarvis
and Freda said: "Oh yes; we could marry him." Mrs Housman and Lavinia
Wray said: "No--quite impossible."
Except Lady Jarvis, they are all extraordinarily optimistic about George
and think that there is nothing in the Housman thing and that it will
pass off and he will marry Lavinia. I am sure they are wrong, and I am
more depressed about it than words can say. Lavinia is fond of him, too,
and that is all that has been gained. There are now three miserable
people, instead of two! No letter from you this week, but I hope to get
one to-morrow.
Yrs.
G.
_From the Diary of Godfrey Mellor_
_Monday, November_ 1_st. Gray's Inn_.
Received a letter from Mrs Housman saying that she was leaving for
Florence this morning, She was sorry not to have seen me yesterday. She
is going to stay in Florence until the end of May.
_Tuesday, November_ 2_nd_.
Had dinner with A. alone at his flat. He was in low spirits and said
that he hates official life.
_Tuesday, December_ 21_st_.
My Christmas holidays begin to-morrow. I am going to Aunt Ruth's.
Cunninghame is staying with Lady Jarvis. A. said he would most probably
spend Christmas with his sister, but he was not sure.
_Thursday, December_ 23_rd_.
Received a telegram from Aunt Ruth saying the party was put off as Uncle
Arthur has got bronchitis. A telegram arrived for A. at the office this
morning. I telephoned to Tuke at his flat to know where to forward it.
Tuke said A.'s address for the next week would be Hotel Grande Bretagne,
Florence.
_Christmas Day_.
Dined at the Club.
_Tuesday, December_ 28_th_.
Tuke telephoned to say not to forward any more letters to A. He was on
his way home.
_Saturday, January_ 8_th_, 1910.
Received a letter from A. from his sister's house. He is coming up next
week. Riley has written to me from Paris to know whether I could put him
up next month. He is going to spend a month in London. I have told him I
would be glad of his company.
_Letters from Guy Cunninghame to Mrs Caryl_
ROSEDALE,
_Saturday, January_ 1_st_, 1910.