Early in September Mr. Hood sent the welcome information to my husband that the Prime Minister had decided “on the strength of the assurance that Mr. Sharp is F. M.” to make him a grant that would meet his pressing needs and enable him to go abroad for the winter.
A few days before this message reached W. S. he had written to his friend.
23d Aug.
Dear Julian,
A little line to greet you on your arrival in Venice, and to wish you there a time of happy rest and inspiration. May the spirit of the Sea-Queen whisper to you in romance and beauty.
How I wish I could look in on you at the Casa Persico! I love Venice as you do. I hope you will not find great changes, or too many visitors: and beware of the September heats, and above all the September mosquito!
“Julian” ought to have a great lift, and not the least pleasure in looking forward to seeing you again early in October is that of hearing some more of your book of Venice and of the other Julian.
[“Julian” is the name of the hero of a book, Adria, on which Mr. Hood was then at work.]
If all goes well—and I have been working so hard, and done so much, that things ought to go smoothly with me again—then we hope to leave London for Sicily about the 21st Oct., and to reach Taormina about the 26th of that month.
I need not say how glad I am that you knew I could not decide otherwise than I did: and I am more than ever glad and proud of a friendship so deeply sympathetic and intuitively understanding.