[ He discovers her letter late, and responds even later, copying into the empty space beneath hers—with painstakingly respectable penmanship—a clean replica of a third draft. The first draft was full of lies, and the second full of honesty. Both were full of spelling errors. This one, in its relative brevity, has only a little of each. ]
I have traveled to Deauville since you left. I borrowed a horse named Robert, which is the worst name I have ever heard for a horse. He doesn’t seem to know it, though. He’s very friendly. So are the people here. Most of them have lost someone, or something, or everyone and everything. They gossip and tease anyway. Sometimes someone gets a distant look or has to leave in a hurry to collect themselves; then they come back. Coming back from a livelihood burning or a son hanging—can you imagine? But people manage it. And things go on. I would say they would scoff at my life’s little problems, if I spoke of them, but really I think they would be kind.
I hope your journey was interesting only in ways that make for good stories, and I hope Antiva rewards you handsomely for what I must assume was a great deal of self-control, for you to have boarded that ship. And I am happy for you both.
I would still like my two songs! But make both of them for joy.
[ Spelling errors not (intentionally) depicted, because I am lazy. ]
no subject
I have traveled to Deauville since you left. I borrowed a horse named Robert, which is the worst name I have ever heard for a horse. He doesn’t seem to know it, though. He’s very friendly. So are the people here. Most of them have lost someone, or something, or everyone and everything. They gossip and tease anyway. Sometimes someone gets a distant look or has to leave in a hurry to collect themselves; then they come back. Coming back from a livelihood burning or a son hanging—can you imagine? But people manage it. And things go on. I would say they would scoff at my life’s little problems, if I spoke of them, but really I think they would be kind.
I hope your journey was interesting only in ways that make for good stories, and I hope Antiva rewards you handsomely for what I must assume was a great deal of self-control, for you to have boarded that ship. And I am happy for you both.
I would still like my two songs! But make both of them for joy.
[ Spelling errors not (intentionally) depicted, because I am lazy. ]