The letter was dated from Hurst.
My dear Mrs. Aviolet,
Your boy is very well, and has quite escaped the prevailing cold, which so many of them have had. I am still keeping him on the Extract of Malt, but only as a precaution.
I promised you to write quite fully and frankly, so I will tell you that Cecil hasn’t been quite so bright lately, and we are a little bit afraid, my husband and I, that he has been in some trouble with the other boys. There was some little want of openness over a game that, I’m afraid, almost amounted to cheating, and as it isn’t quite the first time it’s happened with poor little Cecil, he caught it “hot and strong” from the other lads. It didn’t really come to my ears, or to Will’s, in any official way, and he has thought it best not to notice it, but he said that I might write to you.
After the talk we had about Cecil the first time you came down here, I felt I’d much better write frankly, especially as it really hasn’t been what you told me about. As far as I know, he has been quite truthful, but I’m afraid he’s been caught out cheating over games more than once, and you know how dreadfully “down” English boys always are on anything of that kind. It seems such a pity, because Cecil is a dear little boy and gets on well at his lessons.
My own feeling is that, now there’s been an explosion, so to speak, poor little Cecil will have learnt his lesson, and such a thing will never happen again. But I should so much like to hear what you feel about it, and if there is anything you would advise.
Forgive me for worrying you with such a long letter.
Very sincerely yours,
Anne Lambert.
“Have you heard from Cecil?”
“Yes, but he doesn’t say a word about anything of that kind. He writes just as usual, not telling me anything, poor darling—boy’s letters never do—but nice and affectionate, and sounding quite happy.”