BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, 18 MAR. 1919
BRACERS 19455. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<Garsington>
18.3.19.1

My Darling Love

It was a heavenly time,2 and you were most wonderful — I loved the poetry we read together, and I felt very near to you in spirit. Bless you, my dear one — It was too late to post a letter at High Wycombe, so I couldn’t write to you last night — Murry3 has sent me The Biology of War by Nikolai4 to review — you know he was a German scientific professor, and was sent to prison for the book — I am glad to have it to do. I sent you the article for the Dial5 which I don’t think I am likely to want back — Allen6 said he wanted to see it — so when he is a bit better it might be sent to him. — I see the Daily News slates Lady Teazle7 as much as you would.

I have masses of letters to write, as usual after an absence, so I must stop. I feel amazingly well and fit, in the mood to conquer the world — I wonder how your recitation went off — I thought you said the poems beautifully. Goodbye my Heart’s Life — all my heart is with you —

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200443.

• 2

  a heavenly time They had spent a few days together in BR’s Russell Chambers flat in London. Colette had been living there since 9 Sept. 1918.

• 3

  Murry John Middleton Murry (1889–1957), writer, who married Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) in 1918 after her divorce from her first husband. Murry worked in political intelligence in the War Office from 1916 to 1919. He went on to edit The Athenaeum from 1919 to 1921 and eventually The Adelphi.

• 4

  The Biology of Warby NikolaiThe Biology of War by Georg Friedrich Nicolai (New York: Century, 1918), a translation from the 1917 German original. BR’s review appeared in The Athenaeum, 11 April 1919 (B&R C19.08; 2 in Papers 15).

• 5

  article for the Dial Given Allen’s political interests, it is likely this is “Democracy and Direct Action” which originally appeared in The English Review and was reprinted in The Dial on 3 May 1919 (B&R C19.13; 6 in Papers 15).

• 6

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

• 7

  Lady Teazle A character in Sheridan’s A School for Scandal. The play opened on 17 March 1919 at the Court Theatre, replacing Shakespeare’s popular Twelfth Night, in which Miles had acted. Mary Grey played the role of Lady Teazle; Miles was also in this play as Sir Benjamin Backbite. The Daily News reviewer (“E.A.B.”) thought that the part did not suit the actress “in appearance, manner, or temperament”. Miles was praised for creating a “well-conceived character” (“‘School for Scandal’. Mr. Fagan’s Revival at the Court Theatre”, Daily News, 18 March 1919, p. 2).