Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/155



It were the baldest side on my part, he confesses on 23. 11. 20'' to pretend that the weather here has not turned cold. The winds are what is known as bitter. But the sun is shining like blazes. And there you have what I was leading up to: once bitter, twice shining.''

Ever yours, Alexander Crawshay.  Not content with emulating Mrs. Robert Crawshay's wit and appropriating her name, Teixeira laid his witticism before her and challenged her to say that it was not of the true brand. There is a reference to this in a later letter; his next communication was a picture-postcard of Ventnor, annotated by himself:  A. [A bathchair man] This is not me.

B. [A child with a hoop] Nor is this, really.

C. [An indistinguishable figure] This might be.

D. [A picture of the hotel] But probably I am here, lurking in the Royal Hotel, where I can sea the sea but the sea can't see me.

I think little of your latest joke, I wrote, 24. 11. 20'', and have myself made several of late that put yours into the shade. Thus, on learning''