Hotel Bellevue et d'Italie
Menton
10th September 1933
Dear Mary,
I have just come in from a most gorgeous surf-bathe. I have been lying in the water and letting myself be carried shorewards on the tops of long waves, ranks and ranks of them. And sometimes they broke just as they reached me, and then under I went and came up spluttering and chortling with the Great Life Feeling. Anyhow there was only one person to hear me laughing and think me mad, and that was a fat woman doing exercises on a rock. I hope she didn't think I was laughing at her.
I am glad Norah's party came up to your expectations. I was going to send her a card, but could not remember her address.
I daresay I can manage to spend a night at Dunally Lodge before going north; but I am beginning to think that the day I am most likely to arrive is 1st October. In which case I shall have to wait until I finish my holiday to see you.
After all my indifferent treatment of the Haunting Female I thought that she would take the hint and not write again. But about a week after she left I got a letter from her in which she said: "I realise now how lonely you must be among strangers coming and going continually, and I am going to write to you more often" !!!
Also she asked me to let her know when I should be coming back and she would meet me at the station. I wrote back and said that a friend was already meeting me and I was going to spend the night with her (triple underlined) people at Walton-on-Thames.
I hope you don't mind me using you as a scare-crow.
Oh, yes and she has sent me an iron to iron my clothes that I wash myself. I have asked her to let me know how much it cost plus postage. She is the most persistent girl I have ever met. I can't accept a present from her when I know shat she won't get what she wants in return.
Did I tell you that the reason why I started to wash my own clothes was that as I had to leave Dinard at two hours notice I had to come away without nearly all my things, which were at the wash? I asked Ian to send them after me and also to post a parcel of my winter things to Wensley. Neither parcel ever arrived and Ian did not answer any of my letters until at last I wrote and threatened to report the matter to Head Office if he didn't write by a certain date. The day after that date I got a wire from him to say that he had written, but the letter did not arrive until five days later. In it he said that he had posted my washing to me a week after I left, but said nothing about the other one. I made enquiries at the P.O. but was told that that would have to be done at Dinard. So I wrote and told him to do it and asked what he had done with the other parcel. No answer; so a fortnight later I reported the matter to the staff manager and asked him to do something to help me get my clothes back as I could do nothing myself here. I forgot to tell you that when Ian arrived at Dinard he had lost all his own clothes. So the case looked pretty black.
Well I got a reply from the Staff Manager to say that on the same day that I had written, my successor at Dinard had also written to say that Ian had disappeared! He didn't say whether he had vanished with belongings or without; but they are making every effort to find him and will let me know about it later.
Ian's trouble is just utter weakness of character. He is a good-hearted fellow but absolutely unable to resist the slightest temptation. What he wants is a helping hand from friends who are able to withstand the insidious, charming, bad influence that he has over everybody. If he can be found and is still living in London away from his people I'll try to get him to live at Haverstock Hill.
It is very good of you to give me an invitation subject to your still liking me. I'll accept if I can be bothered when the date comes.
I am quite sorry that I shan't have a chance of calling for you at the office and seeing Katie.
My sister Eileen seems to be hesitating on the brink of matrimony. She always used to say she never would. He is a German and seems to have lots of money, but she is also very attracted by another German who is in the film business and apparently has no money.
Talking of matrimony I have a most important piece of news.
Paul is engaged to Brenda! They are hoping to get married next year as Paul's boss may be leaving the Poly which should give him a big boost up, and she would at first carry on with her mannequin work. They haven't told their people yet.
I knew about this when I wrote to you last but Paul had told me not to tell anyone so I had to write and ask for you to be exempted. The party here has now dwindled to eight to last night I picked up "Edwy the Fair" again. I got to within three pages of the end and also did some revision of the first act. I think I'll wait to have it typed till I get to England as so many things go astray in the French post. (I sent Eileen thirty francs which she has never got). If "Edwy" was to get lost I should be in despair. I'll have it typed while I am in Yorkshire and will send it you from there. Then you can give me your opinion when I come to town.
The weather is much cooler here now and I feel full of beans. Even the fact that I may be transferred to Nice after the season finishes here has a silver lining in the money I shall be able to save to pay for my new clothes - if the old ones don't turn up.
You remember that when I came here at the beginning of July I started a Two-and-a-Half Months Plan to save £15. Well, the time is up on Friday when I get my weekly £2.14s.0d. and as I have saved £13.10s.0d. already, the trick is done. I have had to be very strictly economical these last three weeks to catch up with the amount I got behind during a fortnight's slackness in August.
The self-discipline has been very good for me.
Next Sunday is the anniversary of the day I first met you. I am not superstitious but 17 always seems to be my lucky number.
As soon as I finished "For Sinners Only" I started reading it again, a thing I have never done before. The first chapters are more understandable on second reading when you have already been through the whole book.
I must stop now or you won't get this letter till Tuesday.
Love
Terrick
X X X X
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