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The Letters of Katherine Mansfield: Volume II

Thursday — November 4, 1920

To J. M. Murry

Thursday

Thursday: I had about I inch of mouse's tail from you to-day, but it was the gay and wavy end so it didn't matter. 'Twas writ on Monday… There's a debonair wind blowing to-day and a very pale faint, jonquil sun. I send you Hugh Walpole's letter. He seems to me most awfully nice; and it is in reply to one which I sent him telling him what I really did think of his book—I mean as man to man—I said: “Just for once I'll be dead frank” and you know what that means. But I felt nobody else ever would and it was an opportunity. Besides his letter somehow called for one's deep sincerity. And instead of sending mine back with ‘This is outrageous’—he replies—so gently.

page 74

W. wrote yesterday too—touched one's heart. His wife has been very ill, she's had an operation and so on, and poor old W. is shattered… His letter has actually “by the Grace of God” and “D.V.” in it. What old Death can't shake out of us! But it's very touching to know how frail is one's hold on Picture Galleries and Editions de Luxe.

If the Last Trump ever did sound—would it frighten us? I don't think it would in the least. If God didn't take us both into Heaven I'd rather be in Hell and out of sight of anyone so stupid.

(I told poor old L. M. yesterday that after I died to prove there was no immortality I would send her a coffin worm in a match box. She was gravely puzzled.)