Friday afternoon.

( 6. )

I have not gone out to tea as usual, as dear Henrietta took it
into her head to fall flat on the stones in the hall. However, all, I
assure you at the beginning of this sad tale, is more or less well.
The shock to poor Horses nerves was tremendous as Beaver lay on the
floor, poor old Beaver, and groaned. We brought her to us with the last
dose of dada's excellant brandy. Now Bertha has gone out to get
linament and cakes for tea. Mooney was in her element and
already all Riant Chateau is ringing at the door for news of
adam's recovery. It is, at this state, really almost
a joke. But poor Horse did have an awful shock and burst into
hysterical weeping after Beaver finally decided not to expire.

There is really nothing wrong with Beaver. Her sit-me-down, she
says is terribly painful but Bertha or Mooney will rub her and
no doubt, to morrow I shall trot off to my tennis lesson as
if at nothing out of the way, had happened. Poor old Henry. You see
we need our little Fido to keep us in order. The tragedy was, that I had
just finished reading aloud to Beaver, the letter you wrote, the
long one, number 4, and she went out of my room, laughing and like
Horse in Rome, she sat right down on the hard marble parquet in the hall.
You need not worry as this has been a great warning and now we are all
going about in carpet slippers all day long. We will get some cheap
temporary matting put down and all will surely be well.

I loved your letter. Keep in touch with the Regnier youth.
Couldn't you get him to come out here as we could play tennis with him and
keep him up in the boss! of the times. I am glad Bobby is gay and happy.
Perhaps it is just as well you did not take Beaver, if this is what
would have happened. But perhaps it would have happened, by
the same token, if you had taken her.

I am very selfish but I grieve over my lovely afternoons work
wasted. I isn't that too, too horrid? But don't worry. Henry is lying now
looking very serene and a little as if she had had a new baby. Triumphant
a twistful. Poor, old Henry.

She says she is writing you at once as soon as she can. But really
now it should be looked on more as a joke than anything. If that isn't too
cruel. I don't mean to be cruel, but the shock was something
tremendous."

Keep well, darling, darling. Your very own faithful and more and more
loving, Horse"