Winston CHURCHILL - Autograph letter signed to Countess Greffulhe.

Sir Winston CHURCHILL (1874.1965)

Autograph letter signed to Countess Greffulhe.

One page in-8° on paper stamped on the letterhead of the British Chancery of the Exchequer.

London. December 30, 1926.

“There is absolutely nothing to be done for him.”

Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer, comments on the situation of his former classmate Murland Evans, and wishes to see the Countess, inspiration of the Duchess of Guermantes, again in Paris.

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“Dear Madame Greffulhe, Thank you so much for writing to me for poor Murland Evans . I heard from him the other day when I was in Paris, and once more went carefully into his case, but found that as you say there is absolutely nothing to be done for him. It would be a great pleasure to both of us to see you in Paris some day when we are all there at the same time. Yours very sincerely. Winston Churchill. »

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French version: “Dear Madame Greffulhe, I thank you very much for writing to me for poor Murland Evans. I heard about him the other day when I was in Paris, and once again I looked into his case carefully, but I found that, as you say, there is absolutely nothing to do for him. It would be a great pleasure for both of us to see you in Paris one day when we will all be there at the same time. Sincerely. Winston Churchill. »

It is both confusing and fascinating to imagine Churchill in the Proustian universe: one of the models of the Duchess of Guermantes, cousin of Robert de Montesquiou, the Countess Greffulhe, was one of the prominent personalities of the Faubourg Saint-Germain.