BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, 4 FEB. 1919
BRACERS 19428. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
Garsington Manor
Oxford1^, 2
4.2.193

My Darling Love

2 telegrams came together from you this morning — I was not surprised at not getting a letter as I knew how busy you must be — Picture of you in Daily Mirror this morning, as Fanny.4 As usual, “she will shortly appear etc.”

I will come up Wed. to see the show.5 I hope you can arrange for C.A.6 to go with me — If so we had better lunch together wherever you arrange — I haven’t heard from Eliot7 yet about evening. Shall we go away for a day’s walk next day? Say from High Wycombe — then I could come back here at night — Or shall we go away for 2 nights somewhere? As you chosea — If not,b let us go away for 2 or 3 nights the first moment you can manage after the 17th8 — Needn’t be a week-end.

Am reading a dull philosophy book9 at the moment — so the drama of my work is in an entre-acte.

What is Miles10 producing Sat?11

Brett12 is here, quite amiable.

Goodbye my Darling. All my love, my Cherub, and 1000 kisses.

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200418.

• 2

  [envelope] The Lady Constance Malleson | 34 Russell Chambers | Bury Street | LONDON W.C.1. Pmk: CUDDESTON

• 3

  [date] The date was written over by Colette presumably to clarify.

• 4

  Picture of you … as Fanny. Fanny was her role in Hindle Wakes, which she had filmed in 1917. A photograph of her appears with the caption “Lady Constance Malleson (Colette O'Niel), to appear in a new piece in London shortly” above the title “London A-Foot”, Daily Mirror, 4 Feb. 1919, p. 11. Colette played “Ila” in Tagore’s The King and Queen on 12 February. It is possible that BR thought he recognized what she was wearing as a costume from Hindle Wakes.

• 5

  to see the show Colette’s performance as “Ila” in Rabindranath Tagore’s play, The King and Queen on 12 February 1919 at the Comedy Theatre, London.

• 6

  C.A. (Reginald) Clifford Allen (1889–1939). For information, see BRACERS 19046, n.7.

• 7

  Eliot T.S. Eliot (1888–1965), the poet. BR was attempting to meet with him so he could get his things out of the Marlow cottage. For information on Eliot, see BRACERS 19062, n.5.

• 8

  after the 17th The date he was to begin sharing Clifford Allen’s Battersea flat.

• 9

  dull philosophy book Unidentified.

• 10

  Miles Miles Malleson (1888–1969), Colette’s husband. For information on him, see BRACERS 19046, n.4.

• 11

  producing Sat? It’s not clear what BR was referring to. Miles was involved with the Pioneer Players who put on four one-act plays on Sunday, 9 February, at the King’s Hall. One of them was The Artist, by Chekhov which Miles had adapted; he also acted in the play. Every Saturday that month, he was appearing in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at the Court Theatre.

• 12

  Brett Dorothy Eugenie Brett (1883–1977), painter, known as Brett.

Textual Notes

• a

  chose after deleted But perhaps better only the day, as my time here is short —

• b

  If not before deleted Then