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The Letters of Katherine Mansfield: Volume II

8.30 a.m. — January 22, 1920

… I have had such a gorgeous night in this huge room, with stars coming through the west and south windows and little airs. At eight arrived the breakfast. I really hope this place is showing off a little and this present behaviour is abnormal. If it isn't, pray see that our new house has folding doors, wide staircases. Nothing else will contain me. Oh, blankets and sheets of such rare quality— page 6 blankets that feel like lambs—sheets glacés. Electric lamp by the bedside under a small gold shade—great pot of hot water muffled in a real soft thick bath-towel. All these things are acting with such effect upon the infant mind of your girl, and a west view of mountains covered with little pines and a south view of distant sea and olive groves (as seen from 2 marble balconies) that she feels almost intoxicated.

Getting away yesterday was really pretty awful. Ma'am Littardi arrived asking 50 lire for the hire of the stove; the youth who has been sleeping arrived asking for 5 lire a night (8 nights) and the laundry arrived with a bill for 57 lire… The taxi fare was 6, and he demanded 25 francs for having seen us through the police at Vintimille. I don't care. I'm still alive and I'm away. But the comble was that the day before yesterday when I was gone upstairs to fetch the revolver two beggars came and rang. The door was open. So I came down as quick as I could. But they'd gone and were at the foot of the steps —an old man and an old woman with a bundle. I saw them get into a small mule cart and drive away. At II p.m. that night I asked L. M. to fetch my overcoat as I wanted to sew on a button. It was gone, with the green scarf—the woolly. What do you think of that? Italy, my Italy!