A spare 2 hours in Cairo changing cars. I arrived at ten thirty & went to the Museum & was quite bewildered at the acres of mummies, scarabs, sarcophaguses & so on. Particularly I liked the chariots, the cooking utensils, a genuine six-foot God Anubis – Jackal with lovely ears  & we must call any upright eared dog we have Anubis ! Also I love the toys, tops & a striped cat, a dolls house & a small bow & arrows, all 4000 years old. The Egyptians haven’t half degenerated in the past 4000 years to the modern common wog ! The Tutankhamen Galleries are too splendid for digesting. Golden sandals, Golden thrones & lovely jewellery. Gloves & daggers, little jars & large jars, rings & crowns & scent bottles. The sarcophagus is all solid beaten gold & enamel. It’s startling. You’ll like it. There are sphinxes & lions, couches of gold & canes, quivers & “play boxes”. I had to buy a scarab from a revolting dragoman outside, quite certainly a fake but a clever fake. He asked 75 Piastres & took 15 (2/6). I’ll send it to you, not pretending it’s more than a few weeks old. It’s only  is that it’s an excellent fake. One thing struck me (not a scarab) – the little lamp & bowls Lanave gave me are valuable. They have many in the Museum, of 1000 BC & more & none better than ours. Well, yes, but many worse. So tell Richard to be kind to them. I’d have loved one of the chariots for the Alcester run. You’d have squeaked with delight, will squeak, at the birds & animals & a sweet lion.

                        After that I had coffee at Groppis & then called at G.H.Q. My business done I dismissed my driver to Suez & the other to see the sights until 3.30 & came here, were I have lunched & sit on the terrace with the Nile at my feet. A fine lunch, too, Gnocchi, veal, celery au gratin, creamed potato & peas, a delicious almond raisin confection, cheese & a basket of tangerines, oranges & bananas & coffee – 20 Piastres – 4/ –

                        Before lunch I nosed  in the officers shop downstairs & bought  for 46 Pt – my hoard grows – & a hearth rug for Richard. It’s white cashmere & gaily patterned in flowers. For this room  – soft for small feet & Candy will look glorious thereon. It can be washed & cost only 80 piastres – 16/- I think it’s a wise purchase & you will approve.

                        I’ll get to Alex at 7.30, all being well, up the desert road, for dinner & a reunion with the gang there.

                        Time marches Proudly on to what a climax ! Bless us all. I met four lost looking R.N.V.R. loots at the Museum. They’re flying home from S. Africa. I took them to Groppis & gave them an itinerary until they take off again this evening for Marseilles. They hope to be in U.K. tomorrow afternoon ! I don’t know.

                        At lunch I reread your last 6 letters, dear gay tender letters. The faith you have in me humbles yet fortifies me. I’ll just have to write well & truly. I feel it’s there, & with life at so rich a consistency as it must be with you as companion & travel-mate, whatever befall it will not be impossible. I wonder if I’ve changed much in these 2 years & more ? I think not. Perhaps a steadier sense of values, & even deeper appreciation of life & the qualities you have in so rare a mixture. Quieter maybe, but generally I should be recognisable. I hope so. And do reassure Richard that I am indeed his Daddy & very willing for us to be warm friends, & that I shall indeed come home soon. And then he can talk to be on his telephone. Will he tell me stories, or is it to be a one-way contract ?

                        I sent on a Saviozzi letter last night, & afterwards I remembered that the flap was struck down. Open it up & read it if you like, it’s in rather foul Italian though.

                        I fear the token Christmas present I sent you was by no means a measure of my wishes. I am not very good at presents. Handbags seem to have become habitual & I thought a powder doings might be all right. The Firenze one was leather and not very lasting. This would do for all time. I ransacked Alex for a gold pencil but could find nothing right, only ordinary automatic ones with gold bands or ugly American ones. However, it’s with much love. I found a Max Factor shop & will cope in due course.

                        If I had unlimited funds I could satisfy my constant craving to shower you with the presents I wish. As it is they are all mere tokens of a very great love.