TALBOT2181

Genoa

Thursday
May 21^st

My dear Henry

I have this moment received your letter ¹ of yesterday from Bologna – And we rejoice to learn from it that your most ill chosen moment of departure in the confusion of Monday Evening led to no more serious inconvenience – I assure you we were filled with apprehension & anxiety by the report which Bayer ² brought back from the Genoa Station after seeing you off by that overcrowded train – the third which was started that evening to clear off the crowd of return holiday people, assembled at 6.20 – It really was very imprudent in you to persist in going – and without the excuses of necessity – yours being a mere journey of pleasure. We forward today, the Galignani ³ of yesterday – & will send them daily, until you tell us that you succeed in getting them of an earlier date – I am sorry we have no news from Cannes – Are you certain that you asked Caroline ⁴ to write again immediately & to direct to Genoa as before! – We do not propose to leave this till Monday at soonest, but you shall have a line to tell you where we have fixed – A letter from Charles to Monie ⁵ yesterday contained no particular news – but that the weather has become quite warm out there, and he imagines we may be too hot in Italy –

It really is very close & thundery at the present time – with a threatening Sky. – Yesterday it rained heavily & thundered. We had also the thunder of artillery – parting salutes to the Royal family – Today is less noisy – but Genoa has not settled down to business – this being the fête of the Ascension –shops closed & streets crowded with people –

Love to Ela ⁶ & thank her for her postscript of Statistics – You are progressing very leisurely – so that I don’t think you will have wearied of Lucca baths before we join you –

You musn’t <sic> reproach me for the dullness of this letter, as I have really no news of any kind to send you –

Your affectionate

Constance

Our healths continues much the same as when you left us –