BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, 4 OCT. 1911
BRACERS 17290. ALS. Morrell papers #208, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.

<letterhead>
Trinity College,
Cambridge.1^, 2
Wed. Oct. 4. 1911

My Darling

A letter from you was waiting for me when I got home last night, and another came today — the one you wrote on Monday. I am sorry you are delayed in arriving at Meran — I think of you now on your journey. But Innsbruck is a nice place — I very much enjoyed an evening there with Sanger two years ago. I feel Vienna got on your nerves, and I breathe more freely in the thought that you are away from it. It must have been very tiring, and you seemed depressed, as if you were disappointed that your health was not better, and worried by having no spare time. Please don’t let letters to me become a burden. I shall always understand if you haven’t time for more than a line — and even the shortest line tells me volumes.

I am hurried now as I have been busy with exam papers till this moment, and the continental post goes very soon. Yes, the war is horrible. Italy’s behaviour is quite monstrous — but so is everybody’s behaviour to Turkey ever since Abdul Hamid was got rid of. I don’t see what Sir E. Grey could have done — the situation is so full of risk of worse.

I am glad Prisons reached you. I wonder whether you will get the letter I posted here Sat. morning. — I don’t know. Starting at 7 a.m. will be very tiring.

Thank you for telling me what Mrs Whitehead is supposed to have said. It is quite obvious that she can’t have given any ground of any sort or kind for such a statement. I fancy her belief is if anything the opposite. As you wish it, I won’t say anything to her; but I think it could be said without the slightest suggestion of distrust on your part, merely as a fact about Logan and Alys. And I should have thought it was better told. But it is of no importance. She would not think you wanted to make mischief — she is too understanding to make such a mistake. I gather Alys and Logan have quite settled down, and only collect facts out of curiosity; they have apparently absolutely no intention of making mischief. She may possibly tell one or two cronies, but not anybody who would matter.

Last night I went to see my Lamb and found Waterlow and Rupert Brooke. Nothing of any interest was said by any one. Today it is wet and cold, and I am stupid from reading papers.

Schönbrunn must be delightful. I should like to see the Austrian Royal places.a Ever since Charles V, Austria has consistently stood for everything bad in Europe — oppression, superstition, rigidity. But it has always been interesting. Your description of the soldiers and the saluting is extraordinarily good.

Last night in the train I met a man I knew, after finishing my letter to you; I asked him if he had had a pleasant holiday, and he said “Well no, considering my wife was very ill and my mother died”. It was rather a blow — one hardly knew what to say.

I don’t know when the Shilling Shocker will be out — I have had no proofs of it yet. Now I must stop. Goodbye my Darling. I do long for you to be back, more than I can say. I do hope your health is not very bad. Darling all my love is yours.

Yr
B.

• 1

  [document] Document 000208. Proofread against a colour scan of the original.

• 2

  [envelope] A circled “208”.  The Lady Ottoline Morrell | Hotel Bristol | Meran | Tyrol | Austria. Pmk: CAMBRIDGE | 5.30 PM | OC 4 | 11 | 4

Textual Notes

• a

  places palaces is expected, but BR wrote places