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The Letters of Katherine Mansfield: Volume I

Monday — December 13, 1915

Monday
December 13, 1915

After giving your letter to my ‘bonne’ yesterday I gave up the fight and retired in good order to bed, where I am still. The day seemed very long yesterday, but I must say my ‘bonne’ was very good to me. She gave me an extra pillow, kept me supplied with boiling bottles, brought me Vichy, and my meals on a little round table, actually produced a bottle of alcool camphré and frictioned me and gave me some lime flower tea before I went to sleep. Not counting the number of times she put her fat face round the door and said nodding and smiling as only a Frenchwoman can—with an air of delighted gaiety (!) “Vous souffrez toujours?” You see little Wig giving her smile for smile and nod for nod and saying “Ah, oui, un peu!' She's the only creature I've seen. I am rather surprised that neither of the kind ladies who were so ready to welcome us to their haven should not at least have inquired. But no—And I must confess that notice that the repasts served in the rooms se paient en supplément rather rings in my ear. But my money has come and as I am spending page 44 nothing else it will be perfectly all right. It is such a heavenly day to-day. Oh, so lovely—There seems to be a ring of light round everything. It is still and sunny, so still you could hear a spider spin. I dreamed last night that I sat by a fire with Grandmother and my brother and when I woke up I still held my brother's hand. That is true. For my hands were not together—they were holding another hand. I felt the weight and the warmth of it—for quite a long time.