BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [18 AUG. 1920]
BRACERS 19692. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

6 Rue Boissonade
Paris (XIV)1^, 2
Wednesday3

My Beloved

Two dear letters4 from you I have just had — Sunday and Monday — Thank you my Darling — I didn’t get them sooner because I was in an hotel — this is a flat (opposite Romain Rolland)5 lent us by friends6 of Dora’s7 — they only moved out today so we were not here sooner — Dear Love, your love is so wonderful and generous — I feel you are very unhappy — I am sorry. I wish I could comfort you — I telegraphed to you from Victoria,8 to your hotel — didn’t you get it? — The steamer keeps on being put off — now it seems likely we shan’t leave Marseilles till Sep. 2, so you can go on writing here — Paris is very hot but the Luxembourg Gardens are delightful — I haven’t had time for anything but shopping and business — I shan’t be able to get really started on letters till I am on the ship — I mean letters for the book9 — It will be lovely to get your typescript in Peking — Yes, show any you like, either yours or mine, to anybody you want to —

My dear dear Love, you are so much in my thoughts — The quality of you is so wonderful — nothing could ever make me cease to feel you my Heart’s Comrade10 — Goodbye my Darling —

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200693.

• 2

  [envelope] Miss Colette O’Niel | “Milestones” Co. | The Theatre | Birmingham. Pmk: PARIS 52 AVE. DE L’OBSERVATOIRE | 20* | 18 –8 | 20

• 3

  [date] The date is taken from the envelope’s postmark.

• 4

  Two dear letters Written from the Plough and Harrow Hotel, Edgbaston, Birmingham on 15 August and late Sunday night (BRACERS 116405 and 116406).

• 5

  Romain Rolland See BRACERS 19487, n.12.

• 6

  friends They included Maud K. Burt.

• 7

  Dora Dora Russell, neé Black (1894–1986). She and BR were married from 1921 until 1935. For further information on her, see BRACERS 19056, n.3.

• 8

  telegraphed to you from Victoria On 16 August (BRACERS 19691).

• 9

  letters for the book Their planned book of “literary” letters, to be published anonymously, which would include some of their own personal early letters, the Russian “book” letters, and future letters from China. Colette was to edit the book. See BRACERS 19585, n.6.

• 10

  Heart’s Comrade For information on the use of the term, see BRACERS 19145, n.12.