TALBOT2449

Sackville Street ¹
Wednesday Oct^r 31^st

My dear Henry

To my great amazement the other day, I found Mamma ² had despatched to you an unfinished letter of mine, ³ so that I still owe you half a one. I am afraid you must be very dull at Laycock Abbey all alone, after such a continued round of dissipation – had you not better come here till you know if you can be received at Melbury ⁴ or Abbotsbury? ⁵ Papa’s ⁶ room [illegible deletion] is free, at least for the present; if you like to take the chance of finding it still unoccupied, we should be charmed to have you – there is no bed for Franklin, ⁷ but I suppose he could get one out. Uncle John ⁸ is gone to Abbotsbury, to meet Horatia ⁹ & Papa, who arrived there last Monday – Aunt Mary ¹⁰ is gone to Bath – Uncle Harry ¹¹ arrived in town last night – he is looking very well & tanned, which is becoming – I suppose you too are a good deal sunburnt after your peregrinations. I want to know if it was the Comet we saw on the 14^th as we were driving into London. It was in a South Easterly direction, & resembled a star surrounded by a mist. It kept continually changing its appearance & shape – sometimes the star was so bright that the mist was no longer visible, & at others the fog grew so thick as completely to obscure the star – if it was not the Comet, what could it be? pray inform me soon –

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

My beau-frère ¹² M^r Edgcumbe ¹³ is arrived from Florence –