BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [24 APR. 1917]
BRACERS 19153. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<London>
Tues.1^, 2^, 3

My Dearest

I return the letter from Harold,4 which interested me. I am very glad the cigarette case has turned up. Certainly I will write your name5 to be stuck in it.

Don’t worry thinking you are “unfitted for any human relationship”.6 You are much less unfitted than I am.

I have had to fill up Monday evening as Santayana7 (the Spanish philosopher) wants to see me and no other time will do.

Don’t be unhappy —

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200129.

• 2

  [envelope] The Lady Constance Malleson | 43 Bernard Street | Russell Square | W.C.1. Pmk: LONDON.W.C. | 8.15 PM | 24 APR 17D

• 3

  [date] Colette wrote “24 April 1917” on the letter.

• 4

  Harold Presumablya member of the No-Conscription Fellowship. When Colette sent BR the letter she described it as a “N.C.F.” letter (BRACERS 113009).

• 5

  write your name Colette had asked him on 23 April: “Will you sometime write my name on a slip of paper with the date of our Richmond Park day so it can be engraved in the case?” (BRACERS 113009). Their Richmond Park day took place on 24 October 1916, Colette’s birthday.

• 6

  “unfitted for any human relationship” Colette used this phrase to describe herself. She  wrote: “I feel like a trout in July; and if I wore a label with classification, like the bronzes in the British Museum, it would be unfitted for any human relationship” (BRACERS 113009).

• 7

  Santayana George Santayana (1863–1951), an American philosopher and friend of BR’s brother, Frank. Although born in Spain, Santayana was raised in America and did not return to live in Europe until 1912.