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Francesca darling,
… As soon as I went down to post the letter to you, there at the barrier was Elliott Jaques, and there by his side Melanie. So we had lunch. And very good too: an artichoke, a mixed grill consisting of sweetbreads, veal, chop, pork sausage, fennel, kidney and tournedos excellently cooked. Then raspberries and a coffee ice cream. And the sun blazed and a cool breeze blew and the Rhone dashed along in front of us.
We then had a drive for some miles along Lake Geneva, beautiful in the sun with all the families out in their chic. The most amazing sight is a fountain which throws the water 270 feet into the sky – a remarkable feat of hydraulic engineering. And so back to an afternoon rest …
Then the reception. In a very big hall in the best hotel. There must have been about a thousand people. Masses of all sorts and my reeling brain saw Argentinians and Brazilians and one Mexican and – some talking broken English and some broken French but all, I gather, had been greatly stimulated by my articles, my ‘sporadic’ articles one of them said. I felt like a stuffed cod served with hot butter sauce and looked it. I had to drink, and the more I drank the more of course I sweated. Many friends say what a pity you aren't here. Of course. And so do I, many times.
M.K. and Elliott interest me. There is no doubt of the close collaboration: and why not? It does not do to think you can be a failure in this world and get away with it. At last we left. The reflections in
the water, the floodlit fountain and the rushing Rhone looked very fine. Shops are likewise but very, very expensive.
I think of you always and there is much I would like to talk to you about on the spot while fresh in the mind …