Aug 2nd Sunday

Rumours of surrender, to be announced by smoke signal from mountain1.
Apparently no bombing yesterday, for the first time for a week. Last night in the garden by full-moon; scented by damas de noche 2.
Finished going over Troy II [part two]. Began III [part three].

Aug 2nd Sunday

At 2 o'clock. Lindo Webb ex-consul told us we[RG] our last chance to go was this evening by a destroyer from Los Pinos, Palma. One suitcase each. We had just had lunch. Packed hurriedly and at random. Gelat came & undertook to do everything. He said 'sin verguenzas'3 and wept. Magdalena & Medora came. Antonia and her husband to sleep at Can Torrent, and look after Alice & Nicholas4. Gelat took keys, will keep everything for us, "don't worry"5,[RG] will take Solomon6 for walks. Everyone weeping as we went off. Skirted Palma – saw broken windows no other damage. Today 60 bombs dropped. Soldiers lounging about. Growing beards already. Letters for Schw & Str. who stay at Deyá to forward to Nickel & Emmi's sister. Forgot to excuse ourself to tea with the Junyers. Short confident Fascists will soon win. Saward ×××× [indecipherable] examined passports at English tea room.

Editorial Notes

1 Teix KG
2candlewood, see Mar 15, 1936 eds.
3shameless, i.e. the F [Fascist]'s KG
4Laura's cats eds.
5 K.G. adds this note: "pts. [pesetas] 3.000, which I had saved from bankrupt Bank, handed to L.R., who gave them to Gelat for expenses" eds
6Graves' dog eds.

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Palma

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

  • Teix

    Majorca, Sp
    Mountain range above Deyá. WG

  • Can Torrent

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    House next to Canellun also belonging to LR & RG. Built by Norman Cameron. WG

  • Deyá

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Town located on the northwest coast of Majorca, on the hillside between the Teix Mountains and the sea: this was RG's home with Laura Riding from 1929 to 1936. He returned there with his family after WW II. Eds.

People Mentioned

  • Short

    Short
    Shipping agent and operator of a lending library in Palma. K.G.

  • Lindo Webb

    Lindo Webb
    ex-Consul RG; see Diary August 2, 1936 eds.

  • 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.)

  • Magdalena Marroig

    Marroig Más, Magdalena
    Gelat's daughter. Later married Marcos Colom. WG

  • Madora

    Marroig Más, Madora
    Gelat's wife. W.G. R.G. often spells her first name "Medora," and precedes it with "the." eds.

  • Antonia from Artá

    Antonia
    maid hired April 8, 1936 eds.

  • 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.

  • Laura

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

  • 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

  • Nickel

    Schwarz, Nickel
    Son of Georg Schwarz.

  • Junyers

    Junyer, Sebastian and Junyer, Clothilde
    Often referred to in the diary as "The Junyers," artists Sebastian and Clothilde Junyer spent their summers in Llucalcari. W.G., eds.

  • Saward

    Saward
    Consular official in Palma. WG

Bibliography

    • Title: Trojan Ending, A [novel]
    • Author: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Date: 1937