TALBOT2844

Laycock abbey
Thursday

My Dearest Henry

I have been thinking much about you & your plans since you went away, & really it strikes me that as you will not come to us abroad, you cannot do better than pass the Summer here, particularly as I understand Constance ¹ wishes it, tho’ she has never said so to me, I do not know why – for she seems now quite at her ease with me & appears to talk volontiers ² of whatever occurs to her. If you will be content not to receive you might have a nice little ménage & pass the summer & autumn very comfortably, & allot the winter for visiting in Dorsetshire or elsewhere. This would give you the leisure you only want to write upon & make scientific experiments. In that light such retirement would be invaluable.

Gwynne ³ is improving Lydia’s ⁴ notions of Housekeeping, & having now turned off Cordelia ⁵ as an accomplished Femme de Charge ⁶ to Penrice, ⁷ she is endeavoring to elicit the other’s œconomical talents, & with great prospects of success. By arrangements which we can talk over, I am of opinion you could manage it perfectly, as you are both people who do not require a house full of People to be happy. I shall be disappointed if I do not see the Laycock Petition in the Times. ⁸ The walls of the Village are chalked over with Spencer ⁹ for ever! No Kendrick! It seems likely to be a storm in a bason [sic] of water.

Adieu Dearest
aff^ly y^rs
EF

[envelope:]
[stamped:] To pay P only
Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
M.P.
31. Sackville Street
London
[stamped:] N^o.6
[stamped on verso:] Chippenham Penny Post