p.

2

thinking - hackneyed expression - it may be, but there
are very solid grounds for hope & speculation as to how
soon it may now be over. I really do feel that it is
rapidly becoming a question of how long can Germany
stick it - & what we are going to do, & the U.S.A too
to give her more to put up with. The very fact of
Russia being in the war will have the excellent effect
ofmaking us intensify our efforts, & fromnow on, it
should be a staedy & increasing process of piling it on.
But ^^it is perhaps rather pointless to write about all those
things, which in any case are always in the papers &
on the wireless - & which will be much effected by the
time it will take for this letter to reach you. But
I think about the whole business so constantly, in the
light of my return to you, & so it seems natural to
talk about them. And then when it does all end, I
have to extricate myself from the Middle East. I
wonder so much about how soon after it will begin, &
what the system & order will be. At least we shall
be able to use the Mediterranean, & perhaps we shall
use the French railways too. I think daily, of myself
getting off a train at Victoria, & running wildly along
the platform, with Peter on a piece of rope - &
the ecstasy of suddenly seeing you again. I don't know
how we are going to stop talking, to make love - or
how we are going to stop making love to roll
each other about everything. I rather feel we shall
have to do both at the same time, it will
be marvellous heaven. I suppose we shall
spend a few days with your ma - , then we shall
go up & have to see my family - single beds again
& then I shall be seeing Peter, he will say how