Thank you for your long letter. I am most worried about George. Mrs
Housman goes to Florence to-morrow and is not coming back for a whole
year. George has told me about the whole thing. She knows all about
Housman and has always known. George has implored her to divorce Housman
and to marry him. She can't divorce, as you know better than I do, and
she told George it was not a marriage that could be annulled. However,
this didn't satisfy him. He insisted on getting the opinion of a priest.
I thought of writing to you, but there wasn't time, and then I didn't
know whether it was the same in France or not. I got the opinion of a
priest, who said there wasn't the slightest chance of getting the
marriage annulled. I told George this and he won't believe it, even now.
He keeps on saying that we ought to go to Rome, but I don't suppose that
would be of the slightest use either, would it? In the meantime he is
perfectly wretched. Mrs Housman didn't see him after Cornwall. George
won't see anyone, or go anywhere now. He is at this moment down at
Littlehampton by himself. If you can think of anything one could do, let
me know at once, but I know there is nothing to be done. If the marriage
could be annulled I think she would marry him to-morrow. I can't write
about anything else, because I can't think about anything else.
Yrs.
G.
_From the Diary of Godfrey Mellor_
_Monday, October_ 17_th._
Heard from Mrs Housman from Florence. She says the weather is beautiful
and she is having a very peaceful time.
_Monday, November_ 7_th._
Heard from Mrs Housman. She has been to Rome, where she stayed a
fortnight.
_Wednesday, November_ 9_th._
I met Housman in the street this morning. He said he had given up the
house near Staines. It was dismal in winter and not very pleasant in
summer. He had taken a small house in the north of London, not far from
Hendon. He could come up from there every day and the air was very good.
I was not to say a word about this to Mrs Housman, as it was a surprise.
He said he was going to Florence for Christmas if he could. He said I
must come down one Saturday and stay with him.
_Saturday, November_ 19_th._
Staying with Riley at Shelborough.
_Monday, December_ 12_th._
Heard from Mrs Housman. She is going to spend Christmas at Ravenna with
the Albertis. Housman has written to me saying he will not be able to
get to Florence at Christmas and asking me to spend it with him at his
house near Hendon. I have told him that I was staying with Aunt Ruth for
Christmas.
_Letters from Guy Cunninghame to Mrs Caryl_
_Monday, October_ 17_th._