Today’s great question ‘have you been quinined’? John and perhaps Radford have succumbed to ‘flu while of half-boarders Marriott and Yolland complain of bad colds. Reports vary as to whether Rigaud’s have 13 or 15 cases! We drop off like flies!…
This afternoon Father and myself went up to Colnaghi’s and saw the picture (at last) of the Grant Family. It is rather charming though typical of the period: Mrs Grant in white satin wearing a mop-cap and holding an open book, Mr Grant in a brown coat, red waistcoat and grey stockings, bare-headed and holding his three cornered hat and his stick in one hand, standing by her, while on the other side charmingly painted a pudgy baby and little Richard ages about 6 years old playing cup and ball, all this in a landscape and trees. Mrs Grant looks to me like a woman of Hogarth’s type…I find that the best thing to do is to write to the head of the firm and say exactly what I want and I send my own photographer is Mr Colnaghi gives permission and quite possibly I mayn’t have to pay Colnaghi anything.