Cairo. Jan. 16. Dearest Father. Home letters have missed this mail - it's so tiresome; the mails are fearfully irregular. And when one has to wait for a whole other week it's a serious matter. However it has to be put up with. I rather hope I may hear this week from Domnul in reply to a cable I sent him saying I might come out to India at the end of the month. My chief here is warmly in favour of the idea and if Domnul gives me any further encouragement I think I shall go. There's not much time to be lost if I am to catch Lord H. [Hardinge] and not much point in going if I can't. They would very much like me to stay a fortnight or so at a halfway point on the way back - I won't préciser further - and if Lord H. views the idea with favour, as I believe he might, I should certainly do so and I think it would be very useful in many ways. There is no kind of touch between us except rather bad tempered telegrams! and it would be a great advantage if we could establish more direct and friendly relations, so that each side might cease to regard the other as composed mostly of knaves. It's too silly. Any how that's the idea. I feel a little nervous about being the person to carry it out, but the pull one has in being so unofficial is that if one doesn't succeed no one is any the worse. All this is of course only for your eyes and Mother's.
I dined at the Residency last week and spent the evening talking to our new G.O.C. Sir A. Murray, who is very agreeable. And George and I dined with Mervyn Herbert and had a cheerful evening. Also I took an afternoon off and went with some people called Russell (he is a cousin of Mr Machell's) to call on the old chief of the Bektashi Dervishes who lives in a charming monastery, half house and half cave, above the Citadel. I very seldom leave my work by day but I dine out very often, nearly every night, little friendly parties with all sorts of people, archaeologists, Neill Malcolm, George and so on. It's quite pleasant. Are you very tired? I wish you could come here for a bit but it would be too great a risk with so many submarines. I think Mother must be in London these days seeing about dear Aunt Bessie's things - a sad business for her. Ever your affectionate daughter Gertrude