BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, [27 MAY 1913]
BRACERS 17922. ALS. Morrell papers #787, Texas. SLBR 1: #207
Edited by N. Griffin. Proofread by A. Duncan and K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
Trinity College,
Cambridge.1^, 2
Tuesday aftn.

My Darling Love

Your dear letter this morning was such a joy. I am sorry I wrote such a wretched scrap yesterday, it was oppressively hot, airless and thundery without any actual thunder — I had a headache and had great difficulty in getting through my 10 pages — in fact I only finished them after midnight. Today it is rather better, and I think there will really be a thunderstorm, which would do good.

Wittgenstein came to see me — we were both cross from the heat — I showed him a crucial part of what I have been writing. He said it was all wrong, not realizing the difficulties — that he had tried my view and knew it wouldn’t work. I couldn’t understand his objection — in fact he was very inarticulate — but I feel in my bones that he must be right, and that he has seen something I have missed. If I could see it too I shouldn’t mind, but as it is, it is worrying, and has rather destroyed the pleasure in my writing — I can only go on with what I see, and yet I feel it is probably all wrong, and that Wittgenstein will think me a dishonest scoundrel for going on with it. Well well — it is the younger generation knocking at the door — I must make room for him when I can, or I shall become an incubus. But at the moment I was rather cross.

I am very glad Combe is pleased about J. and that you think she is better. Yes, I feel sure a sun-bath would cure you. I do hope Vittoz [is that his name?] will let you go by June 9 — I should like to be with you on June 16.3 But if Vittoz does your nerves good, I shall owe him a debt of gratitude however long he keeps you.

Salimbene4 came this morning — very many thanks. Also Fortitude,5 which I have begun already. Thank you for sending it.

Tomorrow I shall perhaps go to London for the day to see the Whiteheads. Also I shall probably go there for next Sunday and Monday. I grudge the time taken from work, but it can’t be helped. I shall still keep up to my average of 10 pages a day. North is doing his Tripos — he hopes to get a 2nd. He is utterly sick of Cambridge and longing to get away — he wants to be doing things more connected with his career.6

I am a little depressed about work, but otherwise cheerful. — Darling I long to be with you again — all my thoughts are full of love to you. I must stop as I am out and the thunderstorm is beginning. Much love and a thousand kisses.

Your
B

• 1

  [document] Document 000787. Proofread against a colour scan of the original.

• 2

  [envelope] A circled “787”. The Lady Ottoline Morrell | 3 Avenue Agassiz | Lausanne | Switzerland. Pmk: LONDON E.C. | 2. — PM | 28 MAY 13

• 3

  June 16 Her birthday.

• 4

  SalimbeneG.G. Coulton’s From St Francis to Dante (1906), a life of the thirteenth-century Franciscan friar Salimbene.

• 5

  FortitudeA novel by Hugh Walpole (1913).

• 6

  he wants to be doing things more connected with his career He was to become an engineer.