Feb 14 British Embassy, Berlin. Dearest Mother. Florence and I have spent the most heavenly morning at a Haupt Probe. They gave a lot of the Meistersinger and the IIIrd act of Parsifal. Scheidemantel sang Amfortas and a most excellent man called Wachter, Gurnemanz. The whole thing lasted barely 2 hours and was extraordinarily enjoyable. Do let us go to Baireuth [Bayreuth] this year - I should so like to hear Parsifal! We came in about a quarter past 2 and had lunch all by ourselves peacefully which was just what we liked after a rather exciting morning. Since then we have been bicycling round the house for exercise as it was raining and we could not go out.
I last wrote to you on Friday I think. Mr Acton, Mr Spring Rice and Lord Granville dined with us that evening. After dinner we played hide and seek till we were so hot we could play no longer and finished up the evening with pool and baccarat. Billy left yesterday morning. Florence the Marshalls and I went to the National Gallery to see the modern pictures. It was most interesting because I had been reading about modern German painters and knew what I wanted to look at. It rained all the afternoon - I read and wrote in my room. We dined very late as Mrs Marshall's sister, Mrs Bovill, was coming from England - an attractive person, but not quite so nice as Mrs M. who is a little dear. The Marshalls and Mrs B. all left this morning for Petersburg [Sankt-Peterburg (Saint Petersburg, Leningrad)] and Lord Elphinstone arrived from there - he is going to spend a few days here on his way to England. Gerald has been asked whether he can go to Tunis at once and he leaves on Saturday. Aunt Mary is a good deal saddened, but of course it is an excellent thing for him to get into harness as soon as possible.

The sun is shining and the sky is quite blue at this moment. I should like to go out, but I mayn't go by myself so I suppose I can't! This is one of the drawbacks of life at an Embassy! Ever your affectionate daughter Gertrude