I am leaving here to-morrow. If I look down upon Montreux another day I shall fly into pieces with rage at the ugliness of it all. It's like a painting on a mineral water bottle—Bâtiment des Eaux. And then along the road that winds through (I must say lovely) vines go these awful, ugly people, and one can't help looking at them. Never have I seen such ugliness. Father, with a straw hat on the back of his head, coat off, waistcoat unbuttoned and stiff shirt showing, marches ahead and Mother follows— with her enormous highly respectable derrière and after them tag the little Swisses—Oh! Oh!! Oh!!!

Matters have reached a crisis too, as these last two days there has been the Fête des Narcisses. Hoards of uglies rushing by on bicycles with prodigous bunches of these murdered flowers on the handlebars, all ready for the fray. Happily, it rained and became a Fête des Ombrelles instead. I think from the expression of the company homeward bound the umbrellas had been thrown as well!

To me, though, the symbol of Switzerland is that large middle-class female behind. It is the most respectable thing in the world. It is Matchless. Everyone has one in this hotel; some of the elderly ladies have two.

I think Sierre may be better and there, one is, at least in reach of forests and tumbling rivers. The man from Montana who is going to keep an Eye on me is near too, but thinking him over, (as one does) I believe he's no better page 118 than the rest of them and he overcharged me horribly. I shall pin my faith on forests. Bother all doctors!

I know I ought to love——and she is such a “brick,” as they say. But when that brick comes flying in my direction—Oh, I Do want to dodge it!

I read less and less, or fewer and fewer books. Not because I don't want to read them, I do—but they seem so high up on the tree. It's so hard to get at them and there is nobody near to help… On my bed at night there is a copy of Shakespeare, a copy of Chaucer, an automatic pistol and a black muslin fan. This is my whole little world.

I have just finished a new story which I'm going to send on speck to the Mercury. I hope someone will like it. Oh, I have enjoyed writing it.