January 6, 1904 Wednesday

January 6 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Villa di Quarto / Calamity House would be a better name” [NB 47 TS 4].

Edward B. Caulfield of the Italian Gazette wrote to Sam, enclosing his card, and revealing the name of the “young idiot” who had sent verses signed “M.T.”—it was H. Langan Stuart. “He is a disgusting young brute who when faced with the affair gave me his ‘word of honour’ twice that he knew nothing of it” [MTP].

Note: Henry Langan Stuart (1875-1928) became a novelist, critic and translator of French novels into English. He would review regularly for the New York Times Book Review. Interestingly, a novel by Stuart was published by Chatto & Windus in 1911, titled Fenella.