Baghdad June 30 Darling Father. I am ashamed of this crumpled paper but I am writing from the office and I have nothing else here. It is sad about the sale of the Dickens books and letters, but what a large sum they fetched! On the whole it is clear that the pageant is worth more than the satisfaction of knowing that there were reposing in shelves and in drawers. Still I am sure that it cost Mother a pang to part with them. That was a very vigourous speech of yours at Bp Aucland [Bishop Auckland]. I am now longing to know what you think of the proposed legislation. What an enormous waste and loss two months' coal strike must mean. It's so amazing that the world seems to go on just the same - Ascot and balls and parties are what I read of in the Times - or rather I see they are there - and extraordinarily little about things that really matter. We are now well into the hot weather - temp at 113° - but I am feeling it scarcely at all. Partly, I think, because we have begun bathing though the river is still very high and the current strong. It makes such a difference. We go up by launch to a place above the town where I have a little hut to undress in and get back after seven feeling both excercised [sic] and refreshed. We have very nice little parties this year - Mr Cooke, of course, S/L Harnett who loves it, Ken sometimes, occasionally a nice judge namens Prichard, or some other air officer from S/L Harnett's mess. On Sunday I invited the Joyces who are just going on leave and we dined after bathing. Ken and Mr Prichard came too. It is too hot now to dine indoors and play bridge and much pleasanter to lie out on the river bank and come home by launch about 10. I often wonder how the old Babylonians, with whom I now feel such a close connection, passed their summer. Much as we do, I daresay, but without our ice and electric fans which add immensely to the amenities of existence. Lionel is now living with Sir Henry and he looks much better. It is very pleasant to find him always at lunch. The moment of the day I don't like is going home after lunch at the hottest moment, but there is no way out of it. In the Museum S/L Harnett and I are engaged in classifying seals. I have read books and books about them. The really important ones are usually plain sailing; one is pretty certain of their period, but there are dreadful backwaters of decadence when one is never sure whether the thing is very early or just very bad late work. Also the authorities are not in entire agreement and one has to make up one's mind whom one will follow. Still on the whole, I don't think I shall be very much out and if Mr Legrain comes here with Mr Woolley in the autumn I shall ask him to go through them with me and correct errors. Next week I hope to have my seal case and by that time we shall have got all the seals fairly well grouped and ready to be put in. The King has left today for Vichy. I went to tea with him on Monday to say goodbye. If he comes to London he would very much like to see you but I don't suppose that he will be there in any case before the end of July when you may have left. If you hear of his arrival while you are still there, will you go and see him? He would think it very kind of you. I should so much like Mother to see him. 'Ali is Regent while he is away. Faisal has given me a bronze bust of himself by Feo Gleichen to put in the Museum. I shall set it up in the big Arab room. It's not bad, dignified, but not very like him. There - now I must go to lunch. My letters are extremely dull, but there is really nothing to recount. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude.