it is that rain was lovely and refreshing just after
my beauty sleep I thought it was going to get like
Gibraltar my goodness the heat there before the levanter
came on black as night and the glare of the rock standing
up in it like a big giant compared with their 3 Rock
mountain they think is so great with the red sentries
here and there the poplars and they all whitehot and
the smell of the rainwater in those tanks watching
the sun all the time weltering down on you faded all
that lovely frock fathers friend Mrs Stanhope sent
me from the B Marche paris what a shame my dearest
Doggerina she wrote on it she was very nice whats
this her other name was just a p c to tell you I sent
the little present have just had a jolly warm bath
and feel a very clean dog now enjoyed it wogger she
called him wogger wd give anything to be back in Gib
and hear you sing Waiting and in old Madrid Concone
is the name of those exercises he bought me one of
those new some word I couldnt make out shawls amusing
things but tear for the least thing still there lovely
I think dont you will always think of the lovely teas
we had together scrumptious currant scones and raspberry
wafers I adore well now dearest Doggerina be sure
and write soon kind she left out regards to your father
also captain Grove with love yrs affly Hester x x
x x x she didnt look a bit married just like a girl
he was years older than her wogger he was awfully fond
of me when he held down the wire with his foot for
me to step over at the bullfight at La Linea when
that matador Gomez was given the bulls ear these clothes
we have to wear whoever invented them expecting you
to walk up Killiney hill then for example at that
picnic all staysed up you cant do a blessed thing
in them in a crowd run or jump out of the way thats
why I was afraid when that other ferocious old Bull
began to charge the banderilleros with the sashes
and the 2 things in their hats and the brutes of men
shouting bravo toro sure the women were as bad in their
nice white mantillas ripping all the whole insides
out of those poor horses I never heard of such a thing
in all my life yes he used to break his heart at me
taking off the dog barking in bell lane poor brute
and it sick what became of them ever I suppose theyre
dead long ago the 2 of them its like all through a
mist makes you feel so old I made the scones of course
I had everything all to myself then a girl Hester we
used to compare our hair mine was thicker than hers
she showed me how to settle it at the back when I
put it up and whats this else how to make a knot on
a thread with the one hand we were like cousins what
age was I then the night of the storm I slept in her
bed she had her arms round me then we were fighting
in the morning with the pillow what fun he was watching
me whenever he got an opportunity at the band on the
Alameda esplanade when I was with father and captain
Grove I looked up at the church first and then at
the windows then down and our eyes met I felt something