Wednesday
- you are a pig of a boy - aren't you? I knew my love of letter-writing would lead me into something one day - and here I come with the 37th Healthy Bud - When will you destroy them? - Will you just before you come back to England? Please will you? - Just because you know how I'd hate them to be still in existence - and because you can look at things a bit from my point of view! you've got all you're going to get out of them, so what on earth's the good of them? - & if you ever dared bring up something out of them I should never speak - or write - to you again - so there - & please please be kind & get rid of them all. I loved writing them
- Anyway you won't get any more really nice ones for three years from Sept 21st 1933 - & by the end of that time you'll have forgotten every-thing about me, and have settled down to the exhilarating existence of married life- probably in a flat at St John's Wood.
You see, I've decided to work for Inter & Finals at Kings College - evening classes. During the day I shall reside at Elleker College - a topping school on Richmond Hill - where I shall "help" with the smaller children - boarding there all the week, and the staff will help me with my work and I get every other week-end off to go home in.
Of course - it will mean slogging at work to begin with because I'm so appallingly rusty - & it'll be an awful blow having no evenings free for dances & theatres etc: - but I get the ordinary school holidays (4 weeks at Christmas!) which ought to make up for it - and I always have enjoyed school routine and the experience ought to help me tremendously for getting a good post in 3 years time - if I pass finals. At the moment I feel as if I were going int a nunnery! - not quite certain whether I shall stay in the right frame of mine - or if I'm biting off more than I can chew. (Hard work & concentration never laid upon me kindly!) - But once I start, there's no going back so I suppose I shall be all right. - One half of me is frightfully thrilled & keen about it all - but there's a small other half that is entirely devoid of confidence and somewhat sceptical - you see, three years is a long time (specially not to be earning anything in!) - & I feel so old all ready!
- What do you think? (Say something nice!)
- Another thing - it will mean absolutely cutting out 'all my admirers'!!! - But that ought to be fairly simple - where letter-writing's concerned anyhow! - Only I shall miss them all so - much more than they'll miss me! - Isn't it hard? - Just as I was making such good progress !!
- Reggie needed kicking in the pants as far as females were concerned - &, there being no-one else handy - I did it (metaphorically) myself - therefore I am dust in his eyes - or rather - 'under his feet' would perhaps fit in better!
- Mervyn, I'm fond of simply because he gives me a nice time entirely impersonally - & is bossy and fairly intelligent - only he doesn't like me particularly.
- I can think of 2 more, but their feelings are not worth recording, because I made them interested before giving them a chance to be interested of their own accord! (Blighted woman!) (They would be cross!)
- in fact you might say 'I'm one of their admirers' & you'd be nearer the mark.
But I think it must be easier to do in writing because you're easily my 'piece de resistance'! - no one else can hold a candle to you for saying - or rather writing -
We've bought a new house - bigger than this and much older. We've let this. It's down at Walton-on-Thames and it's got a lovely old sloping lawn running right down to the river with an old old chestnut tree in the centre. At one side you go up steps onto another lawn looking over the river, with two old bay trees and masses of honeysuckle climbing up the walls.
The drawing-room has a big bay window on a slant, giving straight out to the garden and the bedrooms are lovely and airy. There's no front garden. The front door is about 2 yards from the main road - but there's a high wall in front with ivy all over it, and the staircase goes up in a spiral - I think you'll like it - specially the way the drawing-room gives out onto the garden and river. - will you come & stay with me? - (One of my 'off-duty' weekends from school!) - & we'll have a house-warming & dance in the drawing-room (it's quite big enough - & we shan't have any furniture to fill it!) and have a moon-light bathing party ( a bit chilly in October perhaps!) We move in on Aug 14th - so are spending hectic lives buying carpets (60 yds!) - beds (7!!) Curtains (Bales!) - and today I chose the bath & basin (horribly expensive things) But we're much too poor to buy all the necessary furniture yet - so it'll be rather like living in an institution at first! - But won't it be fun? - The address will be - (in case you find it necessary to drop me a line!)
Dunally Lodge
Walton Lane
Shepperton-on-Thames
- I'll let you know the telephone number (so useful) later.
Friday
Office
Heavens this letter has been on hand 3 days - But, as I explained, we are all very busy.
- I said the 'last post-card but one' - & it was exactly the same.
- You'll find that nine people out of ten (of approx my age) have exactly the same conception of love as I have - but perhaps they don't all shout it to the four winds in the somewhat vulgar manner that I always find hard to curb.
- I can't come to a conclusion yet as to your ideas on my 'walking off with someone else' - I'm not quite certain whether you're sue sure I won't, because you're afraid I will (and auto-suggestion always sweeps down my barriers completely - so don't) - or because you actually have something more to go on than I have - which I don't think is possible.
- I'm looking forward to "Edwy" tremendously - but if you honestly thought I should write back and say 'jolly good' after reading it - you can keep it - I should have thought you just knew me well enough to be certain on a point like that. - I only want it, so that I can criticize it - so you needn't worry about my being too flattering! (am I ever?).
- I hate women with Eton crops - they're always so self-asserting, and I shouldn't really gnash my teeth - I was an ass to say so. - But when I'm so prompt in replying, I like you to keep to your side of the bargain - seeing as how I always find time in spite of being booked up with "all" my "admirers"!!
- Ballet 1933 was gorgeous - we went on Friday. I think perhaps I liked Anna-Anna the best of the three - because (owing to the enclosed leaflet) it was easy to follow - and understand (If I understood it!) - the Basso profundo family mad me scream with laughter - all sitting behind the aspidistra as t'were. Tilly Losch is wonderfully fragile and beautiful - I liked her tremendously in the last one - Les Fastes - is it? about the feast of Lupercal.
- The singing in Anna-Anna was perfect - crooned in a haunting melody by the practical Anna. It was very clever - and difficult to do, I should imagine.
- I enjoy Ballet very much - but I feel it's a little too primitive for good entertainment - it leaves you sitting on a seat in the upper circle just admiring - rather than lifting you out of yourself into the world of the people you're watching - which, I consider, perfect enjoyment.
- Mummy showed me some poetry she wrote to Daddy when they were engaged. It was so good I was amazed - & don't think I shall try again.
- Jack & I are going to Norah's 21st on Sept 2nd. I'll let you know how it goes off. Jack leaves for Hungary at 10.30 from Victoria next Thursday - he's nearly off his head with excitement!
We turned out the loft the other day & found my suit-case with Fort William labels all over it - It gave me such a nice feeling.
Must stop. 2.0pm - (Katie away all next week!). Have just had cherries for lunch & the stones come to 'Never' - so that settles it!
My love to the haunting female - and Jill sends hers to you -
Mary Pleasant xxx
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