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RW:S

May 4, 1938

Dear Franklin:

Many thanks for your nice letter which arrived this morning confirming what you told me on the telephone yesterday.  Well, let's keep our fingers crossed!  Apparently there is nothing else to do but to wait patiently.

At the same time I would like to draw your attention to another exceptionally fine English portrait we have, just as advantageously priced as the Raeburn.  It is the portrait of Captain Robert Shore Milnes by George Romney--perhaps an old friend of yours as we purchased this picture at the time from your old firm Agnew & Sons.  To give you a better idea I am enclosing a photograph with the description.  I leave it entirely up to you to bring this painting to Mrs. Merriman's attention, but it might perhaps intrigue her from a historical point of view as Captain Milnes later became Governor of Lower Canada, respectively Governor of Quebec.  The portrait of his wife, painted in 1788, is quite a well known feature in the Frick Collection.

We are asking $16,000 for this picture.  However, in taking this matter up with Mr. Seligmann we are willing to let you have the painting at $12,000 net to you.  In other words, if you get $14,000, as for the Raeburn, the profit would be the same and the Romney still remains extremely reasonable.

I hope your dinner on Thursday will be pleasant and successful. Needless to say, I am curiously awaiting the news of further developments. In the meantime, my very kindest personal regards,

As ever

(Rolf H. Waegen)

Franklin D. Houston, Jr. Esq.
15 Westminister Street
Providence, Rhode Island

GS