In 1914 he is visited by his friend ‘Eve’, the Edwardian novelist known as Elinor Mordaunt.

The diaries await the attention of a researcher with excellent skills in deciphering a difficult script. Corbett states that he writes to remind himself of the people and events he witnesses when he re-reads the diaries later in life. They offer very little in the way of personal reflection or reminiscence, so he remains a mystery, but they do offer extraordinary insight into a fascinating time and place.