p.

9.

& guide to the English language. I find it most
useful, instinctive, interesting & amusing. It was recommended
to me by Frank Macharkie. I looked up, banal, &
found "Banal, banality. These are library critics' words,
imported from France by a class of writers whose jaded
taste relishes novel or imposing jargon. In French they have
had a continuous history and a natural development from
their original to their present sense; in English they have
not & we accordingly remain conscious that they are
exotics. With common, commonplace, trite, trivial, mean,
vulgar, truism, platitude & other English words to
choose among, we certainly do not need them." So
I chose, trite. It is a delightful book to have. It cost
12/- & I have put 5 Feb 41 on the fly leaf - & so Tom
gave it to me for my birthday darling.
Which reminds me my dear love that I never really
gave you or sent you anything for your birthday.
When I sent you the various things in November, I had
no very clear idea when they would arrive. And my
idea then, of a birthday present, was the string of
Memory beads, on which I have paid a deposit of £1.
I expect your reply about these is in one of your missing
letters. But things like these are so very much a matter
of taste, that I did not 'want to' buy them until I
heard from you what you thought.

I have written Peter a long and very nice letter about
the commission today. And so with mine, & your letter
too, I hope that there will now be no chance