My dearest one:
　　Alex and his aide-de-camp, who is the son of LordTemplemore, have left us after staying two nights. I hopeAlex will come back again next weekend．He certainlye~oyed himself painting，and produced a very good pictureconsidering it iS the first time that he has handled a brush forsix years．I have now four pictures，three of them large，inan advanced state，and I honestly think they are be~er thanany I have painted SO far．I gave Alex your message and hewas very pleased．
　　The painting has been a great pleasure to me，and Ihave really forgotten all my vexations ．It is a wonderfulcure，because you really cannot think of anything else．ThisiS Saturday,and it iS a week since we started．We have hadnewspapers up till Wednesday．I have skim   med throughthem，and it certainly seems we are going to have a prettyhard time．I cannot feel the Government are doing enoughabout demobilization ，still less about getting our trade onthe move again．I do not know how we are ever to pay Ourdebts，and it is even difficult to see how we shall pay ourway．Even if we were all united in a Coalition，gathering allthe strength of the nation，Our task might well be beyond ourpowers．However,all this seems already quite remote fromme on this lovely lake．where nearly au the days are full ofsunshine and the weather bright and coo1．
　　Much better than the newspapers was your letter，with its amusing but rather macabre account of the journeyto Woodford．I am longing to hear how our affairs areprogressing．I do hope you are not ove~axing yourself witha11 the business that there iS to do．We shall certainly notforget abom Mary，S birthday；but let me know what youhave done about a present．
　　……P6-7