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Dear Mr. Frick, I trust by the time you receive this letter the Velasquez will be safely hung in your home. About four or five days after cabling you on July 20th, we were informed that "La Touraine" had not sailed, and the picture was consequently put on the steamer "Rochambeau" - a new boat built in 1911, of 12,700 tons, which was in every respect satisfactory to Lloyd's. We have had beastly luck returning the picture. After taking it to Paris to ship on the German boat we were informed by cable that the French boat would sail the same day, whereupon we shipped it back to Havre, only to find that they had sent the French boat off the day before; but as they assured us "La Touraine" sailed the following Saturday we put the picture in storage and left it there. They do not seem to have known from day to day whether they would get a boat off or not, and I have felt extremely guilty of keeping you out of the enjoyment of your picture. Had we known, it could have been shipped from England, although the dock strikes here have threatened from week to week to spread to Liverpool and Southampton; it seems to be a period of labour unrest and strikes. I trust you will forgive us the delay, and will not have missed the Velasquez too much.