Baghdad April 21 Dearest Mother. I have somehow mislaid your last letter so I don't remember if there was anything special to answer. It will turn up no doubt. Don't regret, darling, what you wrote to me about Rounton because I quite understand and feel exactly the same though I won't go on saying so. I have had a letter from Father from Italy, a much happier letter than any he has written yet, so I hope that the Italian journey has done him good, but it won't be a very easy world to come back to, with possible coal troubles and all the rest. We didn't realize, did we, when the war ended that most of the bothers were about to begin.
This time Frances is definitely housed, you said, I remember. Well, that's to the good.

I have been having rather a dull week. What with Moslem holidays combined with floods, they haven't got on at all with the alterations and furnishings of the museum on which I'm longing to begin. But now they promise that they will get to work.

Also you said that people would come to call in the morning - it's a shocking habit. They all do it here on one another I believe - the English - but as I am in office all the morning I escape it. People who come, come on business. Thus there filed in the other morning, to my surprise four priests of various nationalities, two in full Dominican robes. They were students from the French school of archaeology sent by a great friend of mine there, charming Père Vincent (Father has met him) to see what advice I could give them as to seeing ancient sites. That I could do, fortunately, and sent them away contented. They seemed nice and they are coming to see me on their return from their tour.

It is very disgusting having most of my particular part of the world here under water, but the great extent of the flood promises to keep the air cool. We haven't had anything approaching heat yet.

Has a pageant got a text? (forgive the ignorance of the question!) If so I trust that you will send it to me to read. Ever your very loving daughter Gertrude