Letter from George Yeats to Thomas MacGreevy. 14 May 1928.

[p.1 recto]

82 MerrionSq.
Dublin
May 14 1928

Dear Tom

Give me one more week! I am on the verge of becoming completely potty and dotty, have had Lady G. here for two weeks, shall have her for another week at least, am negociating the sale of this house which rather breaks my heart, have to arrange for removal of furniture to Rapallo, removal of furniture to a flat here (all by August 1) fetch Michael on June 20 for summer holidays and decide where to go.... probably a furnished cottage at Sutton for I have refused to open Ballylee this year.... How can I read the calm everlasting waters of Introduction to the method of Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo "after" Valery........... AND how you MSS arrived! All in bits.. "found open" all over it.. But the contents seem unimpaired!

Honest to God, I cant read it decently and reasonably for six days, and William is in such a state of k-nerves too! But one way or another all will be comparatively settled in a week. I have told all, the lawyer, the house agent, the buyer, that if they dont agree by Friday next I give up the ghost, moisten the lips and start again; and this afternoon they all respectively telephoned that they couldnt bar to worry me and they would surely agree in two days time and "Mr Butler" (the buyer) and Mr [p.1 verso]Brindley (the Agent) and "Mr Walsh" the lawyer, have all telephoned to the one tune "Whatever you want, we'll do!" It is all a mixture of Tchekov and Laytone and Johnstone...

The truth is that I dont want to sit in judgment on the Leonardo all alone, I want to read at least bits of it to Willy, and in the state of k-nerves he's in, to say nothing of Lady G. being here, and me "that occupied" I cant do it until after Sunday next.

Your sorrowfully, apologetically,

George