Oct 7 Monday.

Turbines again.[RG]
Went to Palma, dropping Magdalena at Valldemossa, who left without a proper goodbye & 1/2 a month's pay — having at the last moment repented & blamed it on a cold — but no!
Raining hard, but later cleared up. Cashed pension cheque rapidly (because of the rain) & also got 26% (375 p [pesetas]) from Credito Balear1 & a certificate about the rest. Bought a coral necklace for Laura to make up for one given to Isabel. Silk stuff for blue shirt. Various old cotton handkerchiefs at Margaritas & two blue plates horse & flowers; & peasant woman & salmonetes. Decided against dragon picture. Laura found a decent umbrella shop at last in the Jaime II2. Bought Karl a hat. Laura got a pair of pig-skin shoes, cheap — made to measure by a foreign woman & then abandoned.
Official 'fallo'3 of water-case. Visit to Schw. [Schwarz] and Str [Strenge]'s new flat by the Taberna Vasca4. He gave Laura a beautiful emerald-matrix silver-gilt ring, in an old shagreen ring-box. Sabater gentle and offered to reprint first page with corrections: L. offered to share the expense. He will send the stuff off to Constables. Bought blue filing cases.[RG]
Talk of getting a Jewish girl, whom Karl knows, a Hitler victim, to work: but later decided against possible complications after an illuminating talk.
To village: thunder & lightning. Played parchesi with L &[RG] Gelat. Won.
Solomon5 spent day with Catalina, at her house.
No more mosquito nets.
Casita6 work began

Editorial Notes

1the(bankrupt)Bank. KG
2a street in Palma, possibly named after Jaume II, who ruled an independent Mallorca in the 13th century. eds
3verdict. KG
4Basque Tavern? eds
5Graves' dog. eds
6shed. KG

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

Places Mentioned

  • Valldemossa

    Valldemossa, Majorca, Sp
    Village on the way to Palma. WG

  • Palma

    Palma, Majorca, Sp
    Capital and largest centre of Majorca.

  • Majorca/ Mallorca

    Majorca, Sp
    Largest of the Balearic Islands, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of Spain. R.G. and L.R. lived there, in Deyá, from 1929-1936. eds

People Mentioned

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Magdalena

    Magdalena
    Maid from Valldemossa hired by RG and LR in September 1935.

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Isabella

    Isabel
    Live-in maid from Murcia. Her mother (Carmen) then came over with Josefa who also came to work later. WG

  • Sabater

    Sabater
    Printer in Palma who did work for R.G. & L.R. eds.

  • Margarita Mateu

    Mateu, Margarita
    Antique dealer, mostly jewellery, in Palma. WG

  • Swartz

    Schwarz, Georg
    German Jew. Deyá neighbour. Antique dealer. Lived with Frau Emmy Strenge, his house keeper, in Can Caballo some hundred yards from Canellun. RG and LR translated his "Almost Forgotten Germany." WG

  • Strenge

    Strenge, Frau Emmi
    Schwarz's house keeper and ? mistress. WG

  • Hitler

    Hitler, Adolf
    (1889-1945)

  • Catalina

    Catalina
    Domestic help. Called in for white-washing, etc. WG

Organizations Mentioned

  • Constable & Co., Ltd.

    Constable
    Constable Publishers. Arranged with them to print and distribute Seizin Press Epilogue and books. WG