Page 17 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

17

1926

Cool windy day. I am still wearing the clothes I wear in England. At the office all the morning going into the accounts
which are not quite as complicated as they appear to be. An Arabic lesson after lunch, & then several callers, two
couples of missionaries, the bank manager, & Geake of the Levy Corps. One of the missionary women, an elderly
plain female, was really quite pleasant - the other was a disagreable inquisitive female with a husband who appears
to be a little mad. All left cards very solemnly. Took a walk with M in the evening. It looks very pretty at sunset time
with all the sailing boats against the sky - later, when I get some time, I shall start painting. Heard some amusing
accounts of Roseta Forbes doings in the Gulf. She descended on the Prideauxs at Bushire - not knowing them at all, &
stayed for a two months, all the time trying to get onto the coast near here, & also to Bahrain, with an eye to oil
concessions, but the Govt prevented her much to her annoyance. She used to try & send code cables to the oil
people, pretending they were to her husband. Her conduct was very startling. She tried to get round old Prideaux &
to persuade him to let her go. One day when all the others were out she invaded his room, when he was taking a
siesta, dressed in a Kimono & pyjamas, which decidedly shocked him & annoyed Mrs P very much. On the day that
she was departing, just before she left, she said to Mrs P. "now I've got to go upstairs & write my bread & butter
letter" she did so & left it in the hall when she went! The Prideauxs got very tired of her by the time she had spent
two months there - uninvited too!

Sunday 18th [April]