TALBOT177

Sackville Street ¹
February 5^th

My dear Henry

We had a very dull journey from Brighton; it snowed all the way, & we were 8 hours & ¾ en route, owing to the heavy roads & the tired horses; we had not written before hand, & there was an immense run on the road, amongst others the Duke & Duchess of Cumberland ² in three carriages passed us. - Monday evening we had a party at the Pavilion, dull, stiff & formal. The étiquette observed is quite ridiculous; I believe the Queen ³ does not at all wish it to be so, but people will be so obsequious. - We all long to be at Laycock Abbey again, & are to set out, I believe positively, early Monday morning; I am very curious to see the new improvements; Aunt Louisa ⁴ approves of them highly. M^r Montgomerie ⁵ is at Richmond, & is to go with us; Uncle John ⁶ is just arrived from Lilford Hall; ⁷ Sir Charles & Kit ⁸ are expected to-day, & Ly. I. & Uncle William ⁹ & I believe Uncle Harry & my cousins ¹⁰ in a few days. Theresa ¹¹ is to be presented with Louisa Fitzmaurice ¹² on the 24^th.

We went yesterday to an uncommon dull party at L^d Dudley's; ¹³ the same set of people have met regularly almost every night since Christmas, & appear heartily tired of each other by this time, & longing for some new faces. We made acquaintance with Count Wielopolski ¹⁴ the Polish envoy, he seems very young to be trusted with the interests of a nation. On dit qu'il danse la Mazurka comme un ange. ¹⁵ Have you heard the Red Rover's new sobriquet? Blue Ruin - you know she has refused all the Blues in turn. - They now say she is to marry Henry Fox. ¹⁶ -

Papa ¹⁷ begs you will tell the coachman to hire a horse in the village, & drive the covered cart to Melksham on Monday, to fetch the maids. - He must go to the King's arms [sic], & be there in time for the first coach; if they should not arrive by the first, he must put the horse in the stable, & wait till they do. -

Addio caro a rivederci fra poco ¹⁸ -
Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline