BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, 8 OCT. 1920
BRACERS 19706. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

Hong Kong1
Oct. 8, 1920

My Beloved

Another dear letter2 from you as soon as we got here this morning. You say you are afraid of a wall growing up between us3 during this year, but I don’t have any fear, at least on my side — you are far too much of the essence of me, far too deeply entwined with all my feeling for beautiful and fierce things and for kindness and love between human beings — I feel nothing could ever dim my love for you or make me cease to think of you when I am stirred profoundly —

Dora4 is gone to a dance given by the Commodore’s wife — her father5 was in an official position here for a long time so all the naval people make much of her —

This is much the most beautiful scenery we have seen — the town is surrounded by very steep wooded hills, and the harbour is full of islands — it almost reminds one of the Lakes.6 It is not hot — there is wind and rain, which is delicious — especially after Saigon which was a nightmare — I don’t like what I have seen of the tropics.

All the people we liked on the boat have left it — the last was Liang,7 the Pekin professor, whom I liked more and more as the voyage went on — Fortunately there are only 3 or 4 more days — we leave here at seven tomorrow morning. I shall be glad to get to Pekin and stop travelling. I rather think the Chinese will make a great fuss of me, and that I shall get interested in their political problems. They seem rather lovable people.

My Darling I miss you very much — No one else can take the same place that you have in my heart — I wish I had written more interesting letters but the heat made it impossible — It was good of you to telegraph8 — I love you my Heart —

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200707.

• 2

  dear letter Colette wrote six letters on 14 August. One letter was supposed to await BR at each port of call between Marseilles and Shanghai. See BRACERS 113221 to 113229.

• 3

  a wall growing up between us No letter described above contains this remark.

• 4

  Dora Dora Russell, neé Black (1894–1986). She and BR were married from 1921 until 1935. For further information on her, see BRACERS 19506, n.3.

• 5

  her father Sir Frederick William Black (1863–1920).

• 6

  the Lakes The Lake District in England.

• 7

  Liang K.T.J. Liang, professor of commercial law at the Government University of Peking.

• 8

  to telegraph Colette’s telegram is not extant.