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[Page 127]
preference it is often found on the table. I must not eat same dishes too often – Food is changed. If bilous certain vegetables or salades are bought. Expense is not considered & as you know prices are very high here. Sunday is always a feast. Fowl is always there (costing about 13/- a piece) & this is only a working girl who is sacrificing her all to give me pleasure.
She was very hurt when I told her that I would not stay in the house in spite of all her kindness if I could not contribute towards the expenses & until Nov. I was allowed to contribute my quota on a basis of a week when only current provision were bought. Coffee, sago, tapioca & all standards – like these were not included, & though prices doubled & trebled I was not allowed to change the basis.
Since Nov. I have been her guest & nothing can make her change this status; without her I never could have stood the [siege] & she has saved me perhaps 10,000 francs. When I was paying 12 franc a day for a room she found me furnished quarter 2 rooms rez de chausse – private cour – no concierge library for 25 frc a month. The price elsewhere would have been at least 800 to 1000 fr a month.
Every day she came to bring me something that rooms lacked – a curtain of lace – oil for lamps – a knick knack – coffee hot in morning – she cleaned up the room & bought all my provisions for me