Letter T41 ¹
Paris, 14 July 1890

My dear brother,

We are very happy that you are not as much under the impression of the unsettled business questions as you were when you were here. Indeed, the danger is really not as serious as you believed. If only we can continue in good health, which will allow us to undertake what is growing little by little into a necessity in our minds, all will go well. Disappointments? - certainly, but we are no beginners, and we are like wagoners who by all the efforts of their horses almost reach the top of the hill, do an about-turn, and then, often with one more push, manage to gain the summit. If only we could always keep this in mind.

Today we are finishing the packing of our trunks to leave for Leyden tomorrow morning ². From there I shall go to Mesdag on Wednesday to speak with him about Corot, and then to Antwerp with a picture by Diaz. Although the eight days are past now, those gentlemen have not said a word about what they intend to do with me.

Dries, on the contrary, has shown himself to be very cowardly and really under his wife's domination. He freely confessed that everything I had offered him was in order to attract him to the apartment below us, so that we could have his wife as some sort of maid. I do not believe that this came from him. However, I didn't think that his wife was as crazy as that. This is the second time that he has withdrawn at a decisive moment, and yet you were here when we spoke about it and he answered me that I could definitely count on him. I really don't understand him at all, and blame his hesitancy on his wife. That is his problem.

Enclosed you are receiving 50 francs. If I should have the good fortune to do business during my trip, it would make things still easier for me. Goodbye, old fellow; I shall probably be back after eight days.

Kindest regards from Jo, and believe me your loving brother.

Theo

1. This is Theo's last letter to Vincent [Jo's note, but see T41a].

2. See Vincent's letter 650.