Correspondence from Frieda Harris to Aleister Crowley

[Undated: circa Autumn 1940]

My dear Aleister,

I can quite understand your violence about my most unpardonable intrusion in your flat and I humbly beg your honourable forgiveness. It was very hasty on my part and it is no doubt, only an attempt to cover my haughty, high-handed conduct to assure you that I only looked in my own portfolio. Unfortunately, in spite of my despicable character, I have been brought up not to touch other people's papers, even though I have lost my pictures.

But my loathsome proclivities and self-centredness have made me quite outside the old school tie and again I abase myself and beg your forgiveness.

In the matter of the typing, dare I suggest that on the day that most unfortunate letter was written, I was suffering from acute eye strain and had to hire someone to write my letters. Unfortunately she did not know the greeting and I did not read the letter as I did not want to use my eyes. I have now become so timorous and afraid of your reproof as heat, as opposed to my piercing cold, caused by your biting tongue, that I am obliged to refrain from using the greeting in case I should again make some mistake and increase my many offences. I would rewrite this carefully written letter as I have now used the wrong word, only paper shortage makes it impossible.

I hope I did not accuse you of stealing. Believe me I did not intend to do so. I suggest that during one of your illnesses, you may have forgotten about the pictures or dome something delirious with them. Unfortunately they are still lost and I cannot do them again and the series is broken. It seems a pity if the pack was ever going to be printed.

Will you be so kind as to return this letter after you have corrected it and given me marks, if any.

Yours most humbly,

Frieda

I have not shown your letter to my friends as I have such a common, lazy collection, that they always agree with me if I am angry, and so I cannot rely on their judgment.

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