A docile evening at home, dinner and everyone went out except Johnny and I and we sat on the terrace with a great bunch of grapes and our pipes and discussed the evils of hire-purchase and the sullen minds of the Sappers in the starry dusk and then I took my stick and strolled over to the camp and saw the Orderly Sergeant and while he took the bed rollcall talked to allmy new pay sergeant and then having heard that all my babies are in their cots except one, with whom I shall have conversation tomorrow morning, here I am, and the Crozier book is pulling me and after this I shall read until I am sleepy and then to bed.

                        Yesterday we played a nice cricket match against a team Peter got together and we won with good scoring on both sides and Peter showered and beered and dined with me and then to Lanave where we looked at your picture and discussed with Lanave the problem of the knees good knees but, wrong in a picture without the legs. Lanave had continued the frock to cover them but Peter said that gave it the wrong date, Lanave has a solution. Peter is delighted with the likeness and we hunted among pictures for your hair colour. He, Peter is full of praise for the work which is inspired, it will need a fine gold frame. Its a terrific compliment on the old boy’s part to do it, or rather it shews his deep understanding and intelligence to be so much in love with you and it.

                        These velvet evenings when I am not sophorically seeking companionship at Gioia or in a celluloid way at the cinema make me sharply conscious of how completly I depend on you. The day time brings its things to do, the evenings are nostalgic. Just now the weather is very lovely, sunny all day but not too hot and soft gentle evenings and fresh clean mornings.

                        Your letter about meeting Molly Stut, the nice girl who “turns up” in Romsey came today. And Dickie wants a cammellino. I’ll see if its all right by Postie. Oh did you mean to be very funny with the remark “camel, M or N”?  Nicely.

                        Now for a quiet hour with ancient Rome. It was a good present, blessings to you.