Yours,
G.
_From the Diary of Godfrey Mellor_
_Friday, December_ 22_nd_.
I was rung up last night by Cunninghame, who had returned to London
unexpectedly. He had bad news to tell me. A tragedy had occurred at
Oakley and Housman had died suddenly of a heart attack. Mrs Housman was
informed at once and reached Oakley an hour after the tragedy occurred.
Cunninghame has informed A. by telegram.
Not unconnected with this tragic event a small incident has occurred to
me which leaves me stunned.
I have unwittingly violated A.'s confidence, and as it were looked
through a keyhole into his private affairs. I am literally appalled by
what I have done. But after reviewing every detail and living again
every moment of yesterday, I do not see how I could have acted
otherwise than I did, nor do I see how things could have happened
differently.
These are the facts:
A. arrived at the office at half-past three on Thursday afternoon with
Cunninghame. Cunninghame left him.
A. remained in his room until five o'clock, writing letters.
At five he sent for me and told me he was leaving for Paris that night
by the night train. Tuke, he said, had gone on his holiday. He asked me
if I was going away. I said I should be in London during all the
Christmas holidays, as I had a friend staying with me. He said he would
most probably be away for some time, and he would be obliged if I could
look in at the office every now and then. He had told the clerks to
forward letters, but he wanted me to make sure they did not forward
circulars or any other useless documents to him. I was to open all
telegrams, whether private or not, and not to forward them unless they
were of real importance. "But," he said, "there won't be any telegrams.
Don't forward me invitations to luncheon or dinner."
This morning I went to the office. There was a telegram for A. The clerk
gave it to me. I opened it. It had been sent off originally at five
yesterday afternoon and redirected from Stratton Street. Its contents
were: "Albert dangerously ill. Fear worst. Cannot come. Clare."
I forwarded it to the Hôtel Meurice. He will know of course that I have
read it. I read it at one glance before I realised its nature. Then it
was too late. And so unwittingly I am guilty of the greatest breach of
confidence that I could possibly have committed.
It was a fatality that this telegram should have missed him. The clerks
say he left the office soon after I did, a little after five. They say
the telegram did not reach the office till later. They didn't know where
A. was and he had told them not to forward any telegrams till I had
seen them. I remember his saying that he was not returning to his flat.
That he was dining at a club and going straight from thereto the
station, where his servant would meet him. I am truly appalled by what I
have done, but the more I think over it, the less I see how it could
have been otherwise.
I had some conversation with Cunninghame on the telephone last night. He
had been talking to Lady Jarvis on the telephone. She had at once
offered to go to Oakley, but Mrs Housman said she would rather see no
one at present.
Cunninghame went down to Rosedale at her urgent request this morning. He
did not call at the office on the way.
_Letters from Guy Cunninghame to Mrs Caryl_
ROSEDALE,
_Friday, December_ 22_nd_.