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Correspondence from Carl de Vidal Hunt to Gerald Yorke
Nov 26 1928.
Dear Yorke,
All you tell me about A.C.'s doings in USA and in regard to Plymouth Brethren, Catholics his very friends, etc etc etc, fully explains why he cannot get a footing in England. I called on him today and mentioned that you wrote to me, that, in your estimation, Magick [Magick in Theory and Practice] would have to be published privately in England after all. This is all I said about the contents of your letter, but he took it up to say you had no business to inform me regarding his affairs, that he had already written you to that effect and that he was going to write to you again about it. The man stormed because you had sent him a cheque for ninety pounds which he could not cash until the Paris bank had sent for the money in England, meaning a delay of ten days, he said, and starvation staring him in the face. He said he had written cheques in the amount of £130 (one hundred and thirty) on your telegraphed advice that the money was forthcoming. I told him it was a reckless thing to do, on his part, to write out cheques without sufficient funds to cover them. Then he raged about your not coming to Paris this week-end, saying it upset half a dozen very important matters depending on your being there. The only one he told me about was something regarding the coming of the French soldier [Gerard Aumont] from Lyon and a contract the man should make with you. I have no idea what the other important matters are. He asked me if I had any money, but I could not lend him any, being hard up myself pending the arrival of cheques for stories accepted. His main grievance, it seems to me, is that money is not coming fast enough to pay for his living expenses. I can understand his position, with his little daughter [Astarte], his secretary [Israel Regardie], and his new mistress [Kasimira Bass] to feed besides himself, and no rent paid, and bills coming in, and cheques made out without provision. It's a lucky thing he has you to dig up money for him. Personally I'm a bad hand at that sort of thing. I don't think I could raise a penny from anyone with common business sense to promote A.C. anity, for even where I have so far introduced him, he fails to impress. His dormant, inarticulate, wheezy way of speaking in what little he has to say utterly disillusions those to whom I've spoken of his greatness. He is so timid, you see, but it's rather tough on the impressario if the prima donna fails to yodel as advertised. I'm afraid the audience would want their money back.
My dear friend Yorke. Please believe me if I say I don't know what to think of the whole business. I wish you and I could have another talk, heart to heart. Please do not discuss these things with A.C. They are meant for you, confidentially, as per our pact of friendship.
All the best,
Hunt.
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