BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [13 SEPT. 1919]
BRACERS 19571. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
70, Overstrand Mansions,
Prince of Wales Road,
Battersea, S.W.1^, 2
Monday3

Beloved, My Cherub,

<Y>our special messenger letter4 has just come — I rang you up when I arrived but you were out — So glad you had a good rehearsal — How are you Beloved? Good luck to Helen — I am so looking forward to it5 —

It was Thursday night we settled for Bury Str6 — Friday (your birthday)7 for the woods — beeches are lovely now, the other trees just beginning to turn — Week-end I go to Garsn.8 — I haven’t seen O.9 for nearly 4 months — I am afraid C.A. would be too busy to go a walk on Friday — but I will find out.

So thankful to have got away from T.H.10

My Heart’s Life I must stop as the girl is waiting. Thursday after Urbasi11 we meet —Tomorrow we meet at Fuller’s in Strand12 and then go on to dine somewhere early —

I love you, love you, love you, my dearest Darling —

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200559.

• 2

  [envelope] The Lady Constance Malleson | 6 Mecklenburgh Square | London W.C.1. (If out, leave in letter-box). <Not franked; the top is torn off.>

• 3

  [date] The date has been assigned from the assumption that it was written on Monday, 13 September, the day before her play opened.

• 4

  special messenger letter Not extant.

• 5

  Good luck to Helen ... looking forward to it The London debut of The Trojan Women at the Old Vic was to take place on Tuesday, 14 October 1919.

• 6

  Bury Str BR’s flat was located at 34 Russell Chambers. Bury Street is now known as Bury Place.

• 7

  Friday (your birthday) Colette’s (24th) birthday was on 24 October.

• 8

  Week-end I go to Garsn. BR entered Garsington in his pocket diary for Saturday, 18 October 1919.

• 9

  O. Lady Ottoline Morrell, née Cavendish-Bentinck (1873–1938). For information on her, see BRACERS 19077, n.5.

• 10

  away from T.H. BR had spent the weekend of 10–12 October 1919 at his brother’s country home, Telegraph House. It was located on the South Downs, Sussex, near Petersfield, Hants. See https:/russell-homes.mcmaster.ca/home/telegraph-house.

• 11

  Urbasi This is the character that Colette was to play in Sakuntala according to her typed list of roles played (the list is in RA, Box 6.77, F–2). In the review which appeared in The Times, her role is listed as “Anasurya” (15 Nov. 1919, p. 14). This play by Kalidasa was translated by Michael Coulson in The Sanskirt Plays (Penguin, 1981); in this translation there is a character called “Anusuya” but no “Urbasi”.

• 12

  we meet at Fuller’s in Strand In his letter the previous day (BRACERS 19570) BR suggested that they would have tea there.