Dearest Minnie, Night before last when I was feeling miserably blue and depressed after having spent the whole day in bed in profound discouragement (which the addressing of Xmas cards only seemed to deepen) because of a suddenly developed attack of rheumatism, came your letter written on Monday evening 30th, which made me very unhappy and gave me a nervous chill, which I was still shaking in spite of rugs and furs, when the Doctor appeared. Yesterday morning at about 10 oGÇÖclock the letter postmarked 29th and the envelope of enclosures postmarked 30th came together, and after hesitating a good deal, I concluded to send you the cable as on the whole you seemed to regret the letter on second thoughts, and second thoughts one finds, so often (but generally unhappily too late) to be better to give you the benefit of them if you wished it. So in the afternoon I got up and went out and send the cable and this morning at 8:30 came the answer which must have reached Venice last night but too late for delivery I suppose. Although I felt almost sure that the word was GÇ£unreadGÇ¥ it was just possible that it might be GÇ£and readGÇ¥, so I took it to the man at the tel. office and asking him to have it repeated from the last office with the result you see. The letter apparently reached Brown Shipley and Co. open, as you see they have sealed it before forwarding, but I suppose it is unlikely that anyone had read it en route. It must have come open between the London forwarding office and their office as otherwise it would have been marked GÇ£open when receivedGÇ¥ by the P.O. people - but please be very careful (as I think I told you that one or two had reached me open) and you see the envelope also was beginning to break. I am so sorry you are so discouraged or so desperate about all the tangle. I too am discouraged about everything. [illegible] twice I can not get very much of you, see. The days of the weeks go by and almost nothing of the things I want to do and hope to do is accomplished and there is no gain to chronicle. This week I have seen San Giorbe and the same afternoon went to the Lido with the Miss du Caneson, their [illegible], spent nearly 2 hours one morning at the Musee Correr, went over the Hospital one afternoon, hunted for Xmas cards one afternoon and spent Wed. morning and Thurs. morning in bed, Friday also until dinner time, and yesterday until 3 oGÇÖclock. Today I got up at 11 and spent about an hour in San Marco but came back very tired and have been able to do nothing since, but lie back in an easy chair reading and sleeping. I enclose a calculation I made some time ago, [illegible] which you have probably made also. I hope Bessie is better and I wish this was such a dreary letter for you to get so near Xmas. I hope the next steamer will take a brighter one for Xmas. This at any rate carries much love. With a goodnight kiss Lovingly yours, Mary E.G.