I note all enclosed and am glad about Turtle. I
would like notes from him to the two American ladies,
but I want to keep them in reserve, as I may not want to get
involved at the beginning. I think I will find out terms at
the Regina, it sounds funny, and there might be other
analysands there, on the prowl. I don't want to meet
Vienna people, the Americans, and waifs and strays at the
hotel, in their due course, but I don't want to feel
TIED to any of you until after I see Papa, the Pope, the

KING!

Give Turtle my love and tell him of some of this I
am too completely worn-down to write ... tell
him... I gobbled my share in his card.

Letter II.

Dec. 26.

Just a line after lunch. C. Hull is better, she had three alional
and two aspirins. She is just rather doped off, and is seeing
Galbreath to-morrow. She has a certain comparative frankness,
said she'd like some gin after six, it's better to take out
politeness on drinks and then not see them at all. They are
very chatty over lunch, and I am sure, too, I would have damped
the Queen the 1st style, so all well that ends ( as
they say ) well. I enclose for Pup, please share the
other dirt with her and K., as I can't write much more, Robert
is off in a half hour with the post. Thank you again,
for everything. Two books came, at least a Bookshop book for P.,
and a book from Aunt L. for P. I thought better not to
risk posting them to-day. Let me know if you want them. I
am happy and excited over your return. I live till then.
Queen the 2nd is, in a way, an antidote, anyhow, I
feel much better - but never again, will I be " closeted "
alone with the other, unless pre-arrangement is made, as to
absolute privacy and wook-room, on my part. I think, another
time, we could arrange that, as I told Q. I would be undertaking
" professional " work, after my studies in Vienna were
completed. I have, of course, kept off all ps-a matters, and
have been as careful as possible in this mad-house, about the
Q. the 2nd, have only kept to superficialities add, when necessary
said, how lovely and important it was for you to be with your
" dear parents " and that all you lived for was their visits here
in return. I am being very distant and really don't care a
damn.

Heaven bless you and K. Love to K.

Tell him all about it, and why I can't write more now. I
dream of the little owl, and am waiting to do the books, I have got a

Tuesday,
Dec. 27.

Fido dear,

I have just written Chiron, thank you for his
letter. I told him about Freud, in some detail, evidently
there is a huge entente between those two " old boys " ( to
be Watson-on-Tain ) and it is as well to keep in, also
Chiron is a darling, and @ always had guilt-complexes about
him ... and Rodeck... and all that. However ... we are on
the right track now.

Peter ( the cat ) ran away again, but I
told Robert to leave the door open and about 10.30
Peter came and clawed at my door, prettify, cute, tell Puss, please.
We are shutting him up early now, every night till after
New Year . Robert is devoted to him. Peter has got so
big now, since his first " night out " , he is quite a
fierce old Tom and so devoted, more like a dog or a
Siamese. Pup will be pleased with him, he growls and purrs
like mad.

No special news. The sun is streaming in here. I
have avoided all talks with the Queens. I have tea with
them and the two coffees. I find the second one nice, but will
simply NOT discuss anything with either of them. The
first one, I am sure is pretty queer, for her sister and I
both/ repeated a simple little sentence slowly, three times,
about Muses, and
the Italian new roads, and she did not understand; it was
so queer, but it isn't only me. Her sister told her last
night that she thought her " manner " was not right with the
Swiss people. The Q has had a summons to appear in order
to tell her duties at Kenwin, and she is going round and round in

witch-circles. I told her what I thought best and
non-committal, I said " mark time till Br gets back ",
but she went on so, that I said, " well, the thing to do is
consult the consul ", so we are telephoning Quenod (?)
this morning. She has constantly been over-bearing with Jules,
and now says " Jules will talk " . I said, it didn't matter
what the servants said etc. etc. Terrible inferiority
and persecution mania . I would be tactful with her,
but don't swear to keep her forever .... I mean of course, you
to her sister.
will have her a year or so ... but now she is howling, that
Mrs. Macpherson is teaching " me type-writing, as I am to
be, in time, perhaps an official secretary. " Anyhow,
this is enough and I know you will be careful, but
fore-warned is fore-armed, and its necessary, as she constantly
contradicts herself , and flatly denies things she has
said. Now she is all for Robert, and sobbed that he couldn't
" go to mass on Christmas eve, the poor boy was so
upset, he brooded over it, he missed the mass so. " And so
on! That on top of her screaming that Robert must go.........

Love to all. I will leave this open till
after lunch, in case of any further news-reel.

Enclosed, please hand over to KEX.

Wed. 28.

Dearest Fido,

There is another of these official forms about
your appearing about Claire*, in five days. I am taking it,
right after lunch, to the lawyer. Q. 2 is going to dentist,
to have her tooth out, if possible. Q. 1 is going to Quenod,
then possibly to meet the Crabbe and his girl at the Palais
de Sport. Madame J. is due here on Fri. to tea, with about
six more people. I thought you would rather we got it
over before your return, all the social references given by
Madame J. and tears, " how kind, if I but knew what it meant to
her to show people a modern house. " She evidently has come to
consider us, now her son has been so friendly, as a sort of
general ad. for modern " glass houses. " I must say, too,
her appreciation is touching, and there is no real
arrière pensée, I think it just makes her happy to SHOW
a house, not talk everlastingly about le C. and his work.
However, these crowds are getting a little too much, its
sylla and Carybdis, better than undiluted Qs, anyhow.

I do hope, darling, you make an effort to get
back as soon as possible, as the Q is all over the place with
HER summonses and again, last night, rushed into my
room, where I had done off over Abraham, to say her sister
had had five francs stolen, and this was final proof."
I had to go and get into another of those mad discussions, and Q
found what she called " a bucket full of money " ( a tin
folding cup of P.s ) that she insisted I take, lest the money /
( about one and a half fractions, in tiny change ) be stolen. ( I ask
you : a bucket full of money!! " " "

---

*Now,
in order !

2.

As far as the place is concerned, it is beautiful, much pure sun-light and lots of fresh good clean air and food excellent. I get off too, to read Abraham and am writing a vol. to Papa F. Its simply that the general collapse is, as per usual; these aimless women, they simply do go right off the deep end, completely balmy here. Q the 2nd had a row with Feugly, as F. asked of the fogs in London and Q 2 said, " I told him that the weather there is really exactly like here, sun-light ... why do FOREIGNERS always think we have fog in London ? " Well, it's like that, as I wrote Papa, it's true to Looking-glass chess-queen psychology. " ( They all pride themselves on their Alice readings, as you know! ) But, oddly, it IS true to some mad perfectly uncanny-ly mal apropos standards, all the time. Do come back. Please. It isn't them as THEM, its simply that the place is getting terrifyably sur-charged, WHAT does it do ? I myself, seem to have grown in power, even in these weeks of your absence, but these others ... them crumple right up... they wither psychically ... and its almost too much. You need and must, eventually, have a MAN here. Its no good, these. However ... we will talk that over.

The Q. by the way, goes twice a week, in the car ( after market ) to " confession. " She told me. She is rabid. She goes late into church, then stays for an extra session to " confess. " Well... this must be " chewed over later. " Only everything mitigates ... ( if that is the word I mean ) against... LOVE KAT.

P.T.O.

After lunch :

The Queen went to Quenod, and I think her days are numbered here. He said there had been recent difficulty even with the masters at Chillion, and important school-mistresses at St. Georges. He advised her to mark time till your return. The Queen is in a suicidal state. I think it will probably work out that she stays here about a year or six months, I think probably, in this, all will be well, and FISH is with us, as she goes more and more sullen and insane. BUT, you can imagine what the atmosphere is like now. I am going myself to the Bureau to say she is ill and will come later. In the meantime, IF you can get back earlier, of course, it would help. I am very sorry, but you see ... the Queen says "I suppose I better get ready to return with Cris." Well, this after lunch, Jules is waiting. I am going now to the law-yer about this summons to you to appear in 5 days about Claire. I will report. But please don't worry.

Much love, most darling Fitho, this in such haste from

KAT.

* In order *

Thurs. Dec. 29.

Fido dear,

All well. Tell Pup the Bookshop book is being sent, I opened the package and the book is tiny, but there were four odd Mags. in it, you will not want them, I think. I enclose also with the book, the note.

I had long letter from Chiron, saying Molly Aldington, my sister-in-law had turned up to see him, after voluminous letters. ( You better not broad-cast this, as Chiron and I are enjoying ourselves, writing private bits of Molly's personal history. ) I think it very funny. I may see her in the spring, it appears from C., that she is pretty ambi-valent and a bit of a Saph., but I can't swear to that, and anyhow C. and I are treating this " professionally. " But, as you say, England marches, I had your two letters yesterday, such fun to have the post again.

The Q went to the Sports and danced with the " pro " as she called him. She came back hectic, she is too unbalanced. I WILL be glad when you get back, but be careful. I think you better keep her about a year, saying you can't manage more. Don't let yourself in for life, and for gods sake, be careful about what I say. I went myself to the Police at La Tour yesterday and arranged that they wait till you get back, as I said Hull was ill and Dr. F came. ( He did, for the other one. ) I am really too sick of them to write more of it, you can imagine it all. I told the Police that you were due back after the 1st but I had sent a special avion letter, explaining and you might come sooner ... but don't. Stay as long as you can, darling Fido. Your last letters sounded as if you were really getting into

Dec. 30. Friday.

I have your note with enclosures; I save and will later
give all left-over cards over to creche. I have
addressed the letter to Baltimore, and will see about the mags,
when I go downstairs in about an hour. I dodge the Queens, in
the morning, have a chat before lunch and after, with coffee,
have tea sometimes with them, and talk after dinner. Its
absolutely all I can cope with, but on this level, I keep out
of all discussions. They have gone Galb. this morning, are
now due back. Madame J. comes with a party to-day, for tea.
I have invited Miss Watson and her friend, Miss Wood to
Jan. 1 dinner, as we have a fatted goose and I would have to
partake, anyhow, with the Queens. We asked Lewin first,
but she could not come. The Q wants the car Jan. 1. I told her, I
myself, would have nothing to do with it, as last year, the car
was broken New Years Day, because of my return. If she asked
Jules, it must be entirely her own affair. She always asks ME
if I don't think he OUGHT to take her, and then I am
blamed if anything goes wrong. She wants the car to
sweeten to confession. She goes Wed./regularly. That's
her affair, but I won't be involved. She has asked the whole
" church " family here Mon. I will get out of it, if I can. If
I can't, I'll just have to face it. However, you will soon be
back. I suppose we'll all have to eat with the two Queens; it
won't matter at big table, provided, I have you with me. It
was being alone, was so terrible. She is most paralyzing.
She is in Abraham complete, it is positive and negative
narcissism, in ambivalence, it is a depressive, almost
mad melancolic type, due to loss of love-object, turned to
the anus. (I am sorry, if K. is listening, in and I don't really mean

rude.
to be ~~not~~. ) But as it is, as Turtle says, a
real border-line case, its pretty awful being alone.
I have been amazingly helped, reading Abraham. But this
ps-a is, as Freud indicates, playing with high-explosive and
I am going to be damn careful after I get through papa, to
adopt an iron-clad exterior, towad all strangers. Its
absolutely necessay if one has any psychic gifts, anyhow!

Chaddie sent me a calendar, forwarded from Sylvia B.

There is more excuse for C., seeing what England-my-England
can and does turn out!

I have told Robert of cage, he is one grim at the idea of Bill, the
second; we all are delighted. I took sister out last night
and she performed at the Queen. I got W.C. paper and cleaned it
up while the Queen sneered at us both. Jules goes to
Lausanne about that insurance (?) or tax. It will be
all right by Jan. 1. Rhodos are not to be watered, Karma
says. ( I think it was Karma or a visitng gardner. ) The last
almonds from Fortnum ( one tin ) had worms. The dictated all
these items
~~this~~ to me last night, and I said I would write you.

Will you bring back some Maggots for the two Waaungs ?
The Crabbe told Miss Hull of them, and she gives me no peace,
although I had already told her about them!

Robert lost a purse, he says, and is going to look for it,
at La Tour (!!!! ) so I get this off now and the two mags,
I found and send under separate couver.

The Queens are most sneery about Galbreath, say he is a smug
little man. I really am fed up, Fido ....

Love and much more, later.

Saturday, Dec. 31.

Fido dear,

I am waiting for post. Enclosed for Puss, please read, about the Queens room. Queen I is now in bed, she says her nerves have suffered so, and she is just one/howl of melacholia. There is nothing at all wrong with her, but they both have a letch on Fuegly and loathe Galbreath.

I am simply enduring from day to day. They talk nothing now but " courts " across my dead ( as they say ) body. I just don't say anything at all more. Its been a most terrific education in " observing case/history " and I couldn't have endured it, if I weren't looking forward to a little fun, myself, chez Papa! To-day I will have to lunch with the II, and take her out in car. To-morrow, I lunch with them again, as Watson is due for goose ( a relief, Watson, really) You will read about the II can't in Pup's letter, enclosed, 1/% repeat it.

I removed the matress from top landing, as it looked ugly, coming in at night, from the BACK; it spoiled the line of the windows, strangely. The Q told me K. had told her to leave it there, I said Mrs. M. had asked me to get the boys to remove it, before her return, if we could find room in a cupboard. ( I found plenty of space on the bottom floor, we wrapped up the matress and rolled it, much better. ) I mention this, as life is lived entirely now, on that level.

Madame J. came with the other son who said I looked like Greta Garbo ( for a joke. ) She brought a very intelligent little theological student from Lausane with his fiancée, half French, half German, who was born in China. Very nice, but the strain of showing the house is terrific with Madame J. They

2.

stayed hours on the roof, long parleys about
art and so on, very nice, but without you, terrific
strain, no one talked a word of English. Madame J. wants
to bring some more people. I said that you were due back in
five days and would she wait. I hope you don't mind, but
as Queen I, now hurls herself into bed, on every
occasion, when she might really help, I can't really undertake
any more of these huge personally conducted tours. They ARE
nice, but without support, its too much. I really encouraged all
this as Q grumbled at "loneliness", but its not good as
freind J.C. says "old wine" etc. Please come back. Let us
know where car is to meet you, and when. I will come if
poss. alone, so as to have a chew with you about things.
If I can't come ALONE, I won't come at all. But I will
hope terribly to come.

Love to dear Kenneth. I had long, marvelous letter from
Buddy, which I am answering. I will write T. but he
seems to LIKE Boston, Mass. I feel!

Your letter much amusing. Crystal etc. I wrote papa I would
be just as happy for a little extra time here, as he is so
rushed, at the same time, if I don't JUMP in, it may be
difficult, so I said I would come at any moment, but would be
just as happy to wait till end. Jan. I have really, to leave it
to him.

I have already written you that Q paid out for l'Illustre. It
is on your desk, don't discuss it when you get back, as she will
blame me. It was ALL her fault as I told her oefr and over that
we subscribed for NOTHING here but Montreux paper. But please get
back, Fido. This is rotten, but she had already paid some threefrans.

N.B.

========

Keep the Queen as long as you want, but if you
take my advise, Fido, you won't be too absolutely down right
about it, you must say, you want to keep her, but you must make
special arrangement from quarter to quarter. Fido, you must do
this, as she flings herself about, and will blackmail you,
as Claire did, if you aren't careful. She has told her sister all
sorts of things about you taking her on as private secretary. I
warn you : BE CAREFUL. I am about through with it all...

========

Happy New Year

1
9
3
3

1933

1933

1933!

Dec. 31, evening.

I am getting Robert to run across to the station
box, just on the off-chance of a train, making
connections. I will express another letter to you Mon., so
this may come after. Thank you for enclosed to the lawyer. It
has appeared the Q., but she is pathologically morbid, there is
no use " new cloth in old oddments." I will
carry on, like mad. Don't hurry back, only IF you don't,
you may get stuck there with Pup and I can't endure much
Longer. Went to movie after and at tea, Able Ganz, singing.
Saw a good one on Wien a day or so ago and another funny one,
resurrection of Pompeii, at the Orient. Thank K. for his, I
am answering; it was such a comfort. Puss & all
right. There is nothing wrong. She must get back here, in the
good air. You will have no trouble with Fransee, for Gawds sake,
" hold the right thought ", I can't endure ANY more. I do
so hate to bother you, but had to, with this. Come back as soon
as you can. I am all right. Tell Puss, Peter needs her. He
is fast locked to-night. Robert says it will be oak to-morrow.
The Wangs are well and ask for meal-worms. I had a letter
of most formal congratulations from Turtle and
address, and he will send me also, the 2 American dames if
I want. I am posting him, with this. God bless you all
three, darlings, my last letter to you " this year. " I am
burning some more old beeswax and asking Fish to look after
you all. Tell K. to stick on, like mad, in Sloane. I am
writing again, this in a ' nurry.
My dear loves, all blessings from
KAT.