Last Tuesday I went to a huge dinner-party at Lady Arthur Mellor's, Godfrey's aunt. Sir Arthur is quite gaga and took me for George the whole evening. I sat between an English blue stocking and the wife of one of the Russian secretaries. She told me rather pointedly that these were the kind of people she preferred. "Ici," she said, "on voit de vrais Anglais, des gens vraiment bien." There was no gainsaying that.
But of course the chief news, which you probably have heard, is that Louise Shamier has left her husband, and she is going to marry Lavroff—that is to say, if she gets a divorce. He apparently refused to do the necessary in the way of making a divorce possible, so she has left him and has gone to Italy with Lavroff. Everybody thinks it is the greatest pity, and I, personally, am miserable about it. The only comfort is that it might have been George.
Yrs.
G.
From the Diary of Godfrey Mellor
Monday, May 16th.
Caught a bad cold at Rosedale from walking in the wet.
Tuesday, May 17th.
Cold worse. Saw the doctor, who said I must go to bed and not think of going to the office.
Wednesday, May 18th.
Stayed in bed all day and read a book called Sir Archibald Malmaison, by Julian Hawthorne.