Never did a lovely toy reach me at a more opportune moment. The cigarette case came on a day I shall for some time remember. In the early morning I was walking briskly along a smooth road in the woods, happened to step on a little round stone that had been loosened by a night of rain, and I found myself on the ground with a sprained ankle. I walked 2 back to the Inn⁴, stubbornly went to work, didn't even look at it. By noon it hurt so that I had to undress it—and it was a pretty sight! For a few days I was very blue—in mind as well as foot, but I kept it in hot water for long periods, several times a day, walked with a cane, was well strapped with adhesive tape etc—and this morning I took a half-nice walk. But I'm afraid long walks will be out of the question, and the mountain will not see me this year. I've been taking long motor rides, but that's not the same thing at all. For one thing, I have to tulk talk to people. I like to be out of doors alone, for a few weeks in the year. At Grand Manan⁵ I usually walk with someone, or ones. However, I ought to be grateful to kind friends. For the first couple of days after I hurt my foot I felt too sick to work; but now I can work as much as I please, and walk a little. (It's the same ankle that was badly smashed in an accident in France⁶ in 1919, and has made me a lot of trouble ever since.) So you see it was very joyful to have a lovely new cigarette case to produce on invalid motor drives. What is shagreen⁷? I remember that Henry Esmond⁸ gave Beatrix old Isabelle's diamonds in a black shagreen case. It's beautiful stuff, whatever its composition.

Please excuse this scrawl, my dear. I am writing on my knee, semi-recumbent position, to "rest" my ankle—aren't you sick of hearing about it though!