BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [11 JAN. 1918]
BRACERS 19275. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<London>
Friday1^, 2^, 3

My Beloved

Your telegram4 gives me hope — it was an immense relief getting it. I feel sure we can find a way to keep the best that is between us. It would be dreadful to give it up and part.

I feel now calm enough to be able to wait, so I think I had better not come to Falmouth,5 which would of course be extraordinarily unwise. I felt yesterday that it would be nothing to have 6 months’ gaol for the sake of an hour’s pleading,6 but now I feel more hope, and so I am worn out — I can’t fight for you any more just now — I must leave it to you to come back7 if you will. I am sorry I put so much melodrama in my second letter to you yesterday. I should go on whatever you did — but at the moment I lost all self-control.

I am very very tired, but not very unhappy since your telegram. I long to know more of your thoughts. Goodbye.

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200262.

• 2

  [envelope] Miss Colette O’Niel | Royal Hotel | Falmouth | Cornwall. Pmk: LONDON. WC | 1.15 PM | JAN 11 18B

• 3

  [date] Colette wrote “11 Jan. 1918” on the envelope.

• 4

  Your telegram Her telegram stamped 10 January 1918 (BRACERS 107347) read: “Bless you my darling. Let us make no decision until we meet. Love, endless, endless love. Colette.” He also replied to this telegram with his own telegram (BRACERS 19271).

• 5

  Falmouth Colette was there filming the movie The Admirable Crichton.

• 6

  6 months’ gaol for the sake of an hour’s pleading BR is speculating on what his penalty might be for travelling to a prohibited area.

• 7

  come back She titled her 1933 novel The Coming Back [London: J. Cape]. She and BR appear in it as thinly veiled fictional characters.