British Embassy, Berlin. Monday 22nd Dearest Father. I am glad to hear that there is a general concensus of opinion as to how well you are looking - don't, don't let yourself be overpowered with work now! I shall be awfully disappointed if you are not still as brisk when I come home! I return you the letters you sent me to Prague [Praha]. We had a charming dinner party on Saturday. Countess Harrach is quite one of the most delightful people here - and such a dear and so handsome. Mr Fergusson sang like an angel, Uncle Frank was perfectly delighted with the music and the party and the way everything went off, and after it was over he and Mr Chirol, Mr Gaisford, F. [Florence] and I retired into the study and agreed it had been as agreeable an entertainment as could have been imagined. Yesterday was a perfectly horrible day, cold and rainy. Uncle F. and F. went to church and Mr Chirol and I tried to go to the Museum, but it was shut. So we wandered back, looking at the new monument on the way (the old Emperor's) - I had never seen it finished, - and then we went to a modern Amstellung where we say [sic] some very beautiful pictures. After lunch we all slept, which seemed to be the best thing to do under the circumstances. We had a most merry little dinner, Uncle F. and Mr Chirol being in great spirits, and at 10 o'clock Mr Chirol left us for England. Florence went to bed and I sat up till near one and talked to His Ex. He began with the P...t which he was reading, then he showed me a letter of Lord Salisbury's under the seal of the strictest secrecy, then I heard all about the Rhodes dinner, and finally we ended up with a long talk about his two sons and their prospects. He was such an old angel. I don't think there is a more perfect gentleman in the world, in fact Florence and I have agreed that we have both been extraordinarily successful in our choice of fathers! We talked a great deal about you, Uncle Frank and I, and found the subject most satisfactory! There was a long letter from Gerald yesterday describing the Princess of Wales's visit to Tunis. G.'s young woman was presented to her, she appears to have been most affable to her and when she went away, she presented Gerald with a diamond brooch to give his bride as a wedding present from her, Gerald was much delighted.
Caroline is coming here tomorrow for a couple of nights. She was very anxious to see the pictures here, so I told Florence who immediately asked her to stay at the Embassy, saying that we were quite alone and that she should see no one. Caroline was much tempted by this invitation, especially as we felt very sad at leaving one another on Saturday and the prospect of meeting again was most pleasant, and she has finally decided to come. I am extremely glad, and I think it will be good for her to get away from all the little pension bothers and be with these dear people for a day or two.

It's very cold and grey today; I wonder what sort of holiday weather you are having.

Tell Mother Lady Susan only left yesterday. I was amused to see her. She's a very pretty and, I thought, attractive little lady. I rather liked her.

Will you please ask Elsa to try and find my bicycle pump and bring it up with her. It was not sent on my bicycle when I took it up to London in February.

I told you, didn't I, that I overdrew £7 in Rome [Roma]? for my travelling expenses. £4 of that Mother has received in repayment for Mrs Eyton's bicycle. I had a wild letter from Aunt Bessie anent that bicycle. It seems Mrs E. has never received the papers by which she recovers the money on leaving the country. However it's not my fault, for I left them all with Cook in Rome and bound him over by all his Gods to send them to her with the bicycle. I telegraphed to Aunt B.

Fräulein von Hintenburg, a pretty little friend of Florence's, has just arrived to play on two pianos with her.

Goodbye, love my dear little dog for me. I suppose she mayn't come up to London? Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude