Saturday 95 Sloane Street. Belloved Mother. I have sent off the purple dress and a grey one which is 9 guineas and very nice indeed. It has a sash coat and everything suitable to Elsa. My only doubt is whether the black trimming is not too black. There is another most elegant elephant grey costume strapped with grey, but the coat is quite tight fitting so that it might not be so becoming. Also it might not have such a good chance of fitting her. 8 guineas, it is. I wish I could oblige about your skirts. There is nothing that I can find suitable. Tell Elsa I have sent her some boots just like those I have got for skating.
My dinner last night was impayable: M. and Madame de Billy of the French Embassy, she very pretty and smart, another little French Embassy man, Miss Kingsley dressed entirely in African clothes (I should think) and a brother of hers, Sir Courtney Ilbert, a dour Scotchman, Professor Ker, and Colonel Stoppard! It was marvellously incongruous. Mrs Green was attired in a strange costume - you can imagine my delight when after dinner Madame de B. said "Tell me, Mrs Grrreen, what is the perrriod of your drrress?" (She must have thought Mrs G. was appearing as one of the illustrations of the Short History.) Mrs G: "My dressmaker calls this a Medici collar so that your country is partly responsible for it." Madame de B. "Ah no! I think not! It is an English costume." I quite agreed. Mr Kingsley knows, or knows of, the Loony! This will thrill Papa. Mr K. is learning Chinese from the Ls. professor. He says he doesn't think the L. knows much Chinese. I related his career which interested Mr K. very much. This morning I was fitted on in brown[?] holland at Mrs Bell's; then I picked up Flora and we went to see the Fragonards. Tell Papa I quite agree with him about them, but they are awfully interesting as manifestations of the 18th century. I lunched at Audley Square; Harold came in and it was very merry. They showed me all sorts of photographs of the battlefield and jibbas and things which Gilbert had brought back and Flora's drawings of Constantinople [Istanbul] which are very good.

I was rather tired so I didn't go to the Pop as I had promised to drink tea with Mrs Crackanthorpe.

When I came in from my dinner last night, there was the 1000 miler grinning at me! It gave me an awful shock. I am ashamed of having forgotten to send it.

I priced muffs yesterday - I'm afraid they are rather expensive. Sable is of course out of the question, but even mink comes to about £2.5/. The cheaper ones are so dreadfully yellow. I think that's too dear for a Xmas present. Suppose you gave me half of it and I gave myself the other half?

Goodbye. This is a most amusing town! Ever your affectionate daughter Gertrude

Maclagan's bottle[?] is working wonders I really feel much better