p.

7. too busy & couldn't. But he took no notice. & went away & bought the tickets. & presented me with a fait-accompli , & said it would do me good. It did, & I was very pleased.

You remember me talking about those Hopkins people - the Navy man & his wife & a 20 month old daughter? I arranged to go bathing with them last Saturday - & when I arrived, found that he was too busy & could not come along. So I went along with Mrs & the child, Sheila. I had had the news about our baby by then, & felt very different. I carried Sheila downstairs, - & took her into the sea with me - & then we played for a long time after tea. She was very shy at first, & then gained confidence in me & was sweet it was lovely to be with a small child again & feel that she understood that I was somebody who could look after her & be trusted. She was, as always, so very different from Lisa - but she is a sweet child, & even though it made me feel so terribly sad, I loved being with her - & I shall go again for tea sometime.

The Hopkins are very kind, & seem to like me - & have asked me to go there just whenever I want to. She, I discovered, was at the Royal College of Art. & is an Associate, whatever that may mean. I told him that you were at the Slade. & she didn't exactly bristle but gave the idea that "never the twain could meet". I should imagine she means well, but is pretty ordinary & workaday, even though enthusiastic. She was art mistress at a large girls' school in sunderland for 2 years. She says she was at College with Anthony. She is very pleasant really & easy to talk to, & extremely kind, but not too interesting really.