TALBOT3122

My dear Henry

I am much inspirited by your accounts of the dear people at Nice, whose sorrows I do assure you have weighed heavily on my mind. - They must be much more comfortable now that they are able to give such a glowing description of the beauties of their villa, & I hope all will go on better with them in future. - From the terms of your letter I should think we might expect them before very long - that is in the course of the Autumn. I do not wonder at Lord Valletort's ¹ eagerness about returning, but it appears to me that if they are able to stir, there can be no obstacle to Lady Elisabeth's ² departure also - and it will be very convenient for them to come together if M^r F. ³ & Horatia ⁴ persist in remaining abroad - but I do fully anticipate that they will all be once more under our roof at Lacock ere the winter draws in. -

Indeed dear Henry your labours at the Assizes were severe! inde - a most unlucky beginning it was for you in your career as a Magistrate ⁵ - I fear that your love for that sort of thing will not be increased by it - It is fortunate however that you did not feel the bad effects of so much fasting & fatigue for a longer space than a few days - a little mountain air will I should imagine be very beneficial afterwards & restore you completely - Fancy my having been here a fortnight already!! My Mother ⁶ is really much better now, excessively thin of course but she has recovered her appetite & seems altogether as little reduced in strength by her attack as one could possibly expect. - The Heneages ⁷ leave on Monday, & many others of the acquaintance they have formed here, are either gone or going; so that my Mother's recovery comes a little later than we could have wished. - but we must try & amuse her ourselves as well as we can. - I do not wonder at your dislike to this place, now that I am acquainted with it - for those who object to sailing have no other resource. - The Galatea ⁸ arrived here last Tuesday - your cousin rarely comes on show, therefore it is not surprising that I should not have seen him - but we are all to go on board some day when my Mother is well enough - There have been plenty of pic-nics & archery meetings ⁹ since the weather became showery but we have not been near any of them. - Lady Mary Cole ¹⁰ & her party I have seen frequently & I like her extremely on better acquaintance She has been very good to Ela ¹¹ & invited her to pay morning visits at her house. - Ela has got a new bonnet which has wonderfully improved her appearance & before you see her again she will be in short petic[oats] so that I suppose you will scarcely know her again - She improves daily in beauty & amiability - though her Aunts ¹² do all they can to spoil her. - It is lucky she cannot understand. -

The post going - Adieu

Your affec^te
Constance

Saturday. -