You are most wise in what you say about Redmond & the ‘ultimatum’: I wanted (as I always do) when I am on the road to a decision, to be quite sure that your judgment goes with mine. Nor is it an easy matter – anyway. We i.e. Bongie Oc & I drove up in the motor after dinner from Lympne in a dense sea fog, and after many challenges from the Kent Constabulary – who scrutinise every motor with as much of the Sherlock Holmes manner as they can assume – we arrived here about 1.30 a.m. Margot had come up from Hopeman on Sat. night & greeted us. Early this morning I was aroused by Kitchener bringing French’s telegram, which I enclose. Very bad news. For we all assumed that Namur was safe, if not for a fortnight, at least for 2 or 3 days. And (tho’ our soldiers seem to have held their own) fall, of course, takes out the pivot from the movement which was in contemplation. . . . It is a bad check, to say the least. French has since telegraphed that he wants reinforcements to the extent of 10 per cent – wh. implies fairly heavy losses; tho’ Gen¹ Cowans (the Quartermaster General who lunched here) says that we had calculated on not less than 25 per cent. The casualty list has not yet come in, and one trembles to think what names it may contain. I will, of course, wire you at once, if there are any we know & care for. You say you were waiting for the battle; but when it comes, what a terrible reality it is! I can’t help feeling anxious lest the Germans shd. now come right round beyond our left, & finding little resistance – for the main body of the French is a good deal to the East – get through Lille to Dunkirk & the coast. The last thing French said to me, when we took farewell in this room, was that we must be prepared for a reverse or two at the first. And you know how disgusted I have been with the silly optimism of our press, their contempt for German quality & tactics, & all the rest of it. Uncle Hugh is of course an almost professional pessimist, but I feel that this is going to be a lasting business which will try all our mettle. Kitchener outlined at the Cabinet to-day his plans, which if they come off will give us some 600,000 or 700,000 men by April in next year. He is not at all downcast: nor am I. Meanwhile it seems trivial & futile to be haggling about the boundaries of the 6 counties, the precise terms of a time limit, and all the other ‘sticking points’, as you so well describe them. So I have sent Birrell to the Irish to say that these are not the urgent matters of the moment and, if the situation abroad does not mend, they must be content with further delay. Don’t you think this is right? If I could only talk with you! It is cruel that I can’t, but you are quite right to stay with Sylvia, and I will tell you everything almost as soon as if you were here. . . . I wish we had something like a code that we cd. use by the telegraph. This morning for instance I longed to let you know before anyone else what had happened & was happening. Do you think it is impossible to invent something of the kind? You might think of it, & even elaborate it, in the intervals of prawn-hunting. There are many occasions on which it might save us both anxiety, and convey our real thoughts & wishes. Darling I love you: how much I cannot put into words, but some day you will know.