[No surviving envelope]
I had not expected to have any time to-day. But being at the office already I got to work early, and came home after a late lunch, and changed, made up my washing, and packed. AndMorleys, the;d9 now I have half an hour before I leave to join Frank on the 6.10 for Lingfield. And I am glad to be able to write at once, before I have a chance to hear from you again, to tell you what a Delight it was to have you use my rooms (as well as the delight in the last two days), and what a Delight it is and will be to think that you have used them. Theflowers and floraroses;c7left by EH in TSE's Grenville rooms;a4 roses still smell as if you were here in person. The9 Grenville Place, Londonsanctified by EH's presence;b4 rooms will always, so long as I remain in them, seem as if blessed.
EvenHale, Emilytaken to Henry IV on return;f2 though I had but an evening with you alone, and that in a theatre (I am glad we saw that Henry IV though) I was extremely happy. It is such a pleasure to be able to do anything for anyone to whom you are devoted – I don’t mean that I didn’t enjoy doing that little for Jean in itself, because I did enjoy it; because I do like her very much. In fact, I could not separate out the pleasure in doing something for her herself and the pleasure in doing it on your account. Not that I did much!
I9 Grenville Place, LondonEH's sojourns at;b2 was afraid when I first suggested your using my rooms that you would refuse – politely; and I want you to know a little of what it has meant to me. And on the financial ground, I want to repeat clearly that the oftener you will come and use them the happier it will make me – that24 Russell Square, LondonTSE's stay at;a1 I was still more comfortable at Russell Square than at my club and that I shall always now choose it for preference; thatLister (caretaker at 24 Russell Square, formerly Faber's butler);a1 the inscrutable Lister is a perfect valet; that his wife (also inscrutable or is it inscrutible I haven[’]t time to look it up) gave me an elegant breakfast (having given me Early Tea first – and the bath water was very hot); and that they only charged me eighteen pence.1 OfFaber, GeoffreyRussell Square proclaims his gentlemanly standards;d4 course theEnglandthe English;c1;b5 service and comfort at Russell Square is in a way due to having a man like Faber, the typical Englishman of his class who insists upon his comfort and standard-of-living but I will explain that or theorise about that another time. Anyway, the point to impress upon you is that you can come to London and use my rooms at any time for the trifling sum of eighteen-pence a night to me and your fare to you. So there is no excuse for your not seeing the Ballet several times. But I will say again, in writing, that you do not need in return to devote your time, or any of it, to me when you come: I should be so happy to have you come here even when all your time was to given to others. Please understand that it would make me happy to have you MAKE USE of me, and of anything belonging to me.
And I hope I am writing in time to stop you from writing to THANK me – as you have already done rather tiresomely by word of mouth. I should be far more flattered to have you take everything as a matter of course, and to feel that you felt quite naturally and simply that anything I did was simply what you were entitled to. Please ponder this remark and try to take it, not as an emotive utterance of the moment, but as a straightforward statement of permanent validity!
Can’t seal this; left my seal in my case at the office. Will write again on Tuesday: must be off now.
I was happy to see you looking very much better in health – though just as lovely.
1.AnneMrs Lister (wife of 'Lister') Ridler, Memoirs, 122, onLister (caretaker at 24 Russell Square, formerly Faber's butler) Mr and Mrs Lister, the caretaker and his wife at 24 Russell Square: ‘Lister had been butler to the Fabers at their house in Frognal, and used to regale me (when I stayed late at the office) with stories of his experience there and at the Front in the First World War […] Lister was critical of his employers: “I think you Miss might have more sense in running this place than what they do.” Now he and his wife had twins, and occupied the top floor of No. 24.’
11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.
1.AnneMrs Lister (wife of 'Lister') Ridler, Memoirs, 122, onLister (caretaker at 24 Russell Square, formerly Faber's butler) Mr and Mrs Lister, the caretaker and his wife at 24 Russell Square: ‘Lister had been butler to the Fabers at their house in Frognal, and used to regale me (when I stayed late at the office) with stories of his experience there and at the Front in the First World War […] Lister was critical of his employers: “I think you Miss might have more sense in running this place than what they do.” Now he and his wife had twins, and occupied the top floor of No. 24.’
1.AnneMrs Lister (wife of 'Lister') Ridler, Memoirs, 122, onLister (caretaker at 24 Russell Square, formerly Faber's butler) Mr and Mrs Lister, the caretaker and his wife at 24 Russell Square: ‘Lister had been butler to the Fabers at their house in Frognal, and used to regale me (when I stayed late at the office) with stories of his experience there and at the Front in the First World War […] Lister was critical of his employers: “I think you Miss might have more sense in running this place than what they do.” Now he and his wife had twins, and occupied the top floor of No. 24.’