Wednesday, December 1st. [1937]

Was not asleep till 3 last night & was so sleepy on having to vacate L's workroom (my bedroom now) in the morning that I slept on the floor of my workroom (Mary Lucy having the bed in the dining room). Laura has been doing the Inside People part of her letter book all this while; tonight she started her Cambridge address on Positive Capability with a temperature. Took John's watercolour to framemaker to frame: he is retiring from the job in three years - his family has been in the trade for 76 years & not long ago there were 4 carving & gilding frame-makers in the road. Now all put out of jobs by composition frames. 'Cultural Reservations' needed for such. 5 pp Belisarius Ch XXII. To bed at 2 o'clock.

Thursday, December 2nd [1937]

Belisarius 13 pp Ch XXII. Laura finished her address & read it to me. Jenny came & told me her troubles: cruel practical jokes by Peggy H. Lunched with us. Mary Lucy sewed on steel buttons on Laura's black velvet gown & I made another necklace of brown lustre (two strands) caught up with silver lustre, Chinese glass, black cut glass. The other brown lustre necklace I gave Mary Lucy. To bed at 12.45.

Friday, December 3rd. [1937]

We went to Cambridge in Norman's car with Norman & Mary Lucy, & stopped for tea at Lucie's sister Mary Sanders where John & Lucie were, & then to dinner at the rooms of one Tommy Creighton - present Mary Lucy, Charlotte Bawdon, 'Snake' (Gwynnedd Lloyd Thomas), Creighton, a man called Redpath, Laura, me, John, Lucie. Then Laura at the English Faculty Library read her paper of Positive Capability to about 60 or 70 (Honor & Gordon too) & questions were asked, chiefly argumentative, by this Redpath & then we went back to the rooms & talked to several more people. Miss Falconer, Fryer, Messrs Hayes, 'Sallinger?' & a Don called Tillyard (Jesus). Then in cars to Great Bardfield where I slept in the Chapel; Norman too. Lucie has a new servant: Audrey Thake.

Saturday, December 4th. [1937]

Slept till 12, saw John's pictures - there's one little one which we would like to buy, with violet light on a winter stream - talked about the haunted room where John recently found, in a hole under the plaster, a tiny bit of parchment in 16th century 'secretarial' handwriting 'O mitis Jesu, libera nos!' Back to Alma Square in Norman's car through sleet with a faulty windscreen wiper & two women who rushed across the car at different points to catch a tram, & one car that skidded right round in front of us. David, Catherine, Nancy to supper. Nancy took a paper pattern of a rocking chair to make a ply-wood mould from. Catherine remained & stopped the night. Talked till 1.30 of the nature of time.

Sunday, December 5th. [1937]

Catherine went back to school in afternoon after coming with me & David to Philip to see the heirlooms. I offered 25/- for a seed pearl headband to help the other pearls & diamonds to be set. The silver was vulgar, William IV florid. Laura & Mary came back at 8 o'clock. At 12.15 Mary had a talk with me, about being ordered about, but I gave her a plate of tongue & sent her to bed.

Monday, December 6th. [1937]

Went over & finished Ch XXII Belisarius. Karl got a new typewriter. There was more Mary talk: so no work got done. I went to Mills (across Regent's park) via the Scotsman's Zoo & got various Xmas presents & a copper needle-case for the work basket. In evening went with L & Mary to Maisie's flat at 89 Clarence Gate Gardens; where was Tanny, Doris Chapman & a Gibthorpe [?]. Maisie just getting into the flat.

Tuesday, December 7th. [1937]

Laura worked last night till 4 a.m. With Mary Lucy to Caledonian Market where we met Nancy. Bought Xmas presents for various people and for L a white cornelian on tinsel brooch, done in marquisite and a china blue & white knitting ball for Mary. Also clasps and gold beads for Lucie. It was very cold. The Adler picture & John's watercolour reframed and hung £2. Hung the Caledonian curtains in L's room, Maisie not wanting them. The Bottralls to tea. He nervous & off the track but decent; she very good. 2 pp Belisarius. Alix & Harry after supper. Stayed till long past midnight.

Wednesday, December 8th. [1937]

12 pp Belisarius Ch XXIII. At the Bad Fairy's, where I got the tusks, bought pink & white Venetian glass bowl 7/6 & green pottery bowl 6d. Walk in Park. Supper at Norman's with L and Mary Lucy. Back at night & had talk about notation of poetry & notation of music.

Thursday, December 9th. [1937]

Finished Ch. XIII. Talks a great deal of the day with Mary (her last day) about John her husband who is violent and homicidal. She went away with Nan. I walked a long way in the streets, got misdirected, lost. Laura writing a broadcast talk about poetry-reading, helping Mary with poems. She & I walked to Alan's but did not go in, somehow. Alan's Auden letter turned down everywhere.

Friday, December 10th. [1937]

Went of Ch XXIII Belisarius, adding a lot. To Caledonian Market with Karl. Very cold, got little - jugs for Maisie - Karl bought an ostrich egg for Alan, gave it to Laura. Prints for Christmas cards. More Mary talk, Nan there. Jenny to lunch & all her problems & debts once more had out. Wrote an intn. for her to Noel Coward & offered to give her a 10 guinea dance routine.

Saturday, December 11th. [1937]

More work on Ch.XXIII. Slack day - variable temperatures of weather. David came in afternoon from his Cambridge examination. Saw nobody else today & to bed early. Laura finishing her broadcast. Read Waugh's Handful of Dust in bed.

Sunday, December 12th. [1937]

Still going over that chapter & adding to it and to earlier ones. Walk to Swiss Cottage & back in morning. Laura stayed in bed until 2 o'clock. Mary Lucy for her goodbye, also Nan & Wilfred to discuss John Lucy. Decided to get a Catholic priest to make him make peace with the Church. Walk with Laura to Kilburn just before supper. Wrote a number of letters. Head & stomach all day. Went over more Year of Damage. Laura wrote about 15 letters too. Sinking of Panay by Japanese.

Monday, December 13th. [1937]

14 pp Belisarius Chapter XXIV & last. Have reached typed page 448. * Photographs from Deyà. Raining. At barbers had shave, haircut, singe, shampoo, quinine fraction, face-massage - felt fine. Alan: took last ch's of Year of Damage. Honor came & Gordon. Honor stopped the night. Business about Michael Robert's broadcast: query - why did Maisie (or did she?) cut out two mentions of Laura's name. Was it anti-nepotic? Worked till 2.45.

Tuesday, December 14th. [1937]

14 pp Belisarius last Ch. With Laura to lunch with Marguerite (late). 10/- taxi to Winchmore Hill, trams & things back. Worked very late & then read O'Conroy's book about Japan. Harry & Alix to supper (prepared for John & Lucie who had a 'slight car accident'). Maisie explained about the broadcast. * Nankin has fallen. Govt offensive at Teruel, Franco's advertized one not having come off.

Wednesday, December 15th. [1937] A.G.'s 8Oth birthday.

Jenny had an audition with Noel Coward but a voice was needed: so nothing. Laura & I Christmas-shopped in Regent Street & I got me three shirts and we had lunch at Fullers. Margaret Russel came to tea & supper. Laura finished her poem about Christmas which has occupied her for 3 days. Finished Ch XXIV (12 pp more). Still another to go. [Gr1-1032-043: Press cutting about another Robert Graves who fined £5+£2.2s costs for threatening words at a meeting in Bethnal Green]

Thursday, December 16th. [1937]

Went over Ch XXIV. Started XXV (worked all day.) 5pp. Karl in bed with cold. Laura went to talk with Bozman 0of Dent's, about the Dictionary. Good impressions. David Reeves, Harry; Alan. Bought two more cotton proofed jerseys. Laura on Letter Book again.

Friday, December 17th [1937]

Met Catherine & went with her to Caledonian Market, and Alan. Alan & Harry there. Lunch at the pub. Bought old fashioned Christmas cards, 1 each, diabolo sets for children 9 each, 2 ostrich eggs for Alan 1/6, a coin of Julian the Apostate, 2/6, a mug with 'Mary Love' on 1/-, 2 picture (gilt) fremes 1/-, a dart board & darts for Alan 2/6, a Rowlandson print for Schwartz 1/6. 2 pp Belisarius. With Catherine to Prada's to a family gathering in honour of A.G.'s 80th birthday & Clarissa's going to Palestine. Present Catherine, Jenny, me, A.G., John, Clarissa, Ros, Bones, Betty his wife, Charles & Mrs Preston & Martin, Rebecca Clarke, Jim Cooper etc. Songs, jokes etc.

Saturday, December 18th. [1937]

Saw Catherine off to Teignmouth. She lost or left behind everything possible but I got her safe into the train. (Shopped with her at Selfridges). On return: 'Molly Morgan' came for a talk, a schoolmaster in Rhodesia. Then Mary Lucy phoned from Morecombe. She had escaped with her two children from John via Belfast to Nan & Wilfred in Cumberland. We telegraphed her £10. Then got Inspector Thompson of St John's Wood police here for advice as to procedure if John comes gunning - he threatened to kill us as well as Mary. 12 pp Belisarius; and a sore throat.

Sunday, December 19th. [1937]

A very sore throat. * Finished last chapter of Belisarius (worked 15 hours). Karl still in bed. Laura at Letter Book. Fog. Feeling half-ill only.

Monday, December 20th. [1937]

Heavy cold. Kept in all day. Mad letter from John Lucy. Mary in Cumberland phoned. Typewriter came. Prepared Ch XXV for typing, & began going over Ch.I. Margaret & Montague Simmonds to supper, & Honor. Settled Jenny's debts. Talk about education etc with Simmonds till midnight. Presents from Honor & Gordon: R. A bottle in a silver case. L. A Davenport teapot. From Ward & Dorothy: L. A lovely scarf with a bad design. R. A charming little box - yew-wood I think. Maisie wants to get John certified as insane. He is till in Ireland.

Tuesday, December 21st. [1937]

Marie in bed. Me & Karl with heavy colds. So Alan went to fetch Sam at King's + and bought his bicycle: Karl & I did housework. Finished going over Ch.I Belisarius, did 1/2 Ch.II. Added to preface. Jenny & Sam to tea - Sam very deaf - Sam to Rhoda Legge's. Harry & Alix: Xmas presents & off to Germany. Adler goodbye: port and talk. He behaved very nicely. No temperature, but bad cough. * Teruel fell.

Wednesday, December 22nd. [1937]

Marie back. Karl very dead with his cough. Sam got off with great difficulty by Alan: bike, bike ticket, ear apparatus. I went to bed after lunch and forgot to wire Nancy when Sam would arrive. Went over rest of Ch II; Chap III; and Chapter IV (again). Also reading The Menace of Japan. Jenny goodbye: on the way to spend Christmas with the Allsop's beer[?]at Ingalestone brought me candied fruit. Chocolates from Marie & Karl. Norman gave Laura a swell nightgown. Bed in dining room. Very bad cough, handk.expenditure, sweats. Listened to Laura's telephone talks from the extension at my bedside. Reassuring letter from Mary.

Thursday, December 23rd. [1937]

In bed, stomach & headache. Struggled through Ch 5. A.G. (& John) came in the morning. Kirsch from O.K.! John putting things right with Laura. John & Philip both rang me up (inspired by Charles, I suppose) about Jenny's alleged connexion with David Willmer & the other 3 who did a jewel robbery-with-violence in a Knightsbridge hotel. Jenny has not had anything to do with them for months. Maisie to supper gave me moss-agate earrings (& to Laura a golden lacquer box). Left her bag behind, as Norman last night his hat: Laura is uniting these two things in a Scotch marriage. Catherine rang up that Sam's bike was lost.

Friday, December 24th. [1937]

Julie sent me a scarf & Laura a pair of moonstone earrings. Letter from Juan & photographs - cats, Solomon, orange- tree and Gelat family. Presents from John & Lucie: for Laura: a Bristol glass bottle. me: 2 pair of nice socks. Revised Chs VI,VII & VIII Belisarius. Got up at 3 (Carlow coming to tea with a present of a Lawrence diary he has printed). Carlow was very decent. Laura gave him 3 vols of Epilogue & Trojan Ending. & I for a joke all the mss of Belisarius. Laura not communicating with Mary till M's affairs are settled. Alan's presents: for me a Paisley paperweight. for L: a Mallorquin woman (coloured print 18th Cent)in a frame. From the market.

Saturday, December 25th.[1937] Christmas.

After a bad night, still not well - fits of weakness & sweating, but on my feet. Ch. IX & X Belisarius. Laura doing Letter book. The worst fog ever. Lots of Christmas cards and two bottles of ink from Sam. Christmas lunch: Laura, Alan,. Karl, Marie, I. Christmas pudding brandy butter, crackers, chicken, wine. Heard the King on the wireless. Jenny alone in the ladies' wing at Ingatestone, no other ladies present. Letter from Short: bad air-raid on Dec 7th, hardships in Palma, worse in villages.

Sunday, December 26th. [1937]

Feeling better after a long sleep protracted to 12 o'clock. Ch X & XII Belisarius. No visits today. Called up Jenny. There had been a fist fight at the poker-table there. Laura finished last section of letter book: 3 recommendations remain. Working very hard to complete contract. Karl has just finished typing the last chapters, which make, with foreword & index, 488 pp = 170,000 words. I contracted for 100,000.

Monday, December 27th. [1937]

Better. Went out for a short walk in the streets. Ch XIII, XIV and most of XV Belisarius. Chief event was a long talk with Alan & Beryl - Beryl having abstract doubts about the success of the marriage. Mary Lucy sent amethyst beads.

Tuesday, December 28th. [1937]

Ch XV & XVI Belisarius. In evening James & Mary came, James with a new poem. Sent money £50 to Deyà. Still coughing. Laura has written about 40 letters in last two days. Alan doing geographical list for Belisarius. Long talk with Mr. Burgess (Ribbons & Winder) re income tax. Tea with Jenny & Peggy Hamilton, both in bed.

Wednesday, December 29th. [1937]

Ch XVII Belisarius, 3 pp mss too. James came, also Margaret & Leonard Russell. To St John's Police Station to discuss John Lucy letters with Sperintendent Moody. New shirts came. Talked most of day with James - no work except a few minutes at a time - in evening (after supper at McWhirters with him & Mary Reeves & Laura) went over points in his poem about a ship at anchor etc.

Thursday, December 30th. [1937]

Chapter XVIII. XIX & most of XX. Great interruptions. A solicitor (Hilberry & Son, 4 South Square, W.C.1) about the John Lucy matter - he has written a letter to NN which we intercepted. Also advice from P.P.G. Then Wilfred came in the late evening, joking & helpful. A Jesuit priest J Flynn of the S.J., 114 Mt St. W.1 approached. No work done by Laura. (also Joyce Reeves came). Alan finished my geography lists. Cold better. Jenny ill with gastric flu. Insurgent counter-attack at Teruel.

Friday, December 31st. [1937]

Preparing all day for New Year's Eve party. Georgian corkscrew from Karl & Marie. Did Ch XXI & XXII Belisarius. Visited Jenny who has flu. Len & Jane to supper: Len arguing with Laura (about his general views on visual truth) and speaking of John as a traditionalist in rather a derogatory way. Afterwards Honor & Gordon - who have had their car stolen - Montague & Dorothy Simmonds, Alan & Beryl, Maisie, Sally & Richard, (Len & Jane still) James & Mary, Wilfred Roberts & one Jane Randall (uninvited). Gramophone music, talk, champagne at midnight. A whole bottle of Domecq drunk, not much else. Sandwiches of ham & pimiento & cream cheese with fig. Then clearing away the mess. Schwarz sent me a gold coin of Justinian.

Log Entries of letters for December, 1937