27 Oct 1921

27 October 1921

Chalet des Sapins, Montana-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

Dear Mr Galsworthy
   By an unfortunate mischance your letter only reached me today. My silence must have seemed very ungracious. Though, even now, I scarcely know how to thank you. Your noble generous praise is such precious encouragement that all I can do is try to deserve it. I want to promise you that I will never do less than my best, that I will try not to fail you. But this sounds superficial and far from my feeling. There the letters are, tied up in the silk handkerchief with my treasures. I shall never forget them. I wish, someday, I might press your hand for them. Thank you ‘for ever'.
  I ought to tell you - for after all, you have the key - I have been haunting the little house in the Bayswater Road last week - looking at the place where the humming birds stood, and standing where Soames stood in the hall by the hatstand. How I can hear Smithers word "Bobbish". But one must not begin. One would go on for ever. All the life of that house flickers up, trembles, glows again, is rich again, in these last moments. And then there is Soames with Fleur running out of his bosom, so swift, so careless - leaving him bare . . . Thank you for these wonderful books . . .
[To John Galsworthy, 25 October 1921.]