Gertrude Bell's Hafiz

[Gertrude Bell to her Father concerning her translations of Hafiz]

1897

Tuesday

95 Sloane Street.

Dearest Father,

I had a most satisfactory interview with Heinemann. The good little man had put several pages into different types for me to choose from - that's what he meant when he said he had had several tries at it! So you see we wronged him. I am to come out in the autumn in company with a volume of Wilfred Blunt's poems - "I think you will be in good society" said W.H. I thanked him kindly and expressed myself quite satisfied. He is going to send me a "little agreement". I don't suppose he will pay me anything, but I don't pay him either - we made that quite clear. I asked him if he were going to do it on his own responsibility and he was rather indignant and said he didn't publish books that were not good enough to be done at his risk. He was most complimentary.

I lunched with Mrs Green and spent most of the afternoon with her - partly at her dressmaker's. Oh you can't think how funny Mrs G. is at her dressmaker's! She hasn't a notion what she wants and when she has ordered it she doesn't even ask how it's to be made. But there! you can't understand about these things!

Sophie and I are going to a Mottl Concert.

Ever your affectionate daughter

Gertrude