TALBOT3149

Paris
Hotel de Brighton
Monday 12^th Oct^r 1835

My dear Henry

I have been intending to write to you ever since I have been here, but never have been able to find time till today – we arrived here the 26^th September, having left Nice the 6^th Our original plan was to have remained only a week, but that week has insensibly swelled into a fortnight, & now I think we shall stay on till next Monday, as we find the air agree [sic] so marvellously with L^d Valletort & Bimbo ¹ – I have not seen Lord V so strong or in such good spirits for nearly a year – & Bimbo who was so very ill at Nice, still extremely thin when we arrived, is now so fat & rosy it does me good to look at him – He is besides a very intelligent & good child, & begins to talk about Laycock Abbey & “little Ela Cousin ²” – Amandier ³ has been staying with us all this time – She returns tomorrow to Brunoy, to prepare for her journey to Nice, which I believe she intends to begin the 18^th I am afraid She will have a cold journey over M^t Cenis, for the winter is two months in advance this year – We found as much snow on M^t Cenis the 13^th Sept^r as we did last year the beginning of November – She is to meet them all at Turin & go with them to Nice – I am glad Mamma ⁴ has decided to stay – Horatia ⁵ was very unhappy at the thought of parting from her, & I think it always a great disadvantage to a girl to be away from her Mother, for reasons too numerous to detail. – For Mamma herself, too, I think it the best scheme – for though she says the climate disagrees with her, I really & truly believe it was only during the hot months, which she unfortunately spent there to be with me – As long as the cool weather lasted, which was till the end of May, she looked & appeared remarkably well – & I think it very doubtful if that she would have escaped rheumatism so completely, had she passed the winter anywhere else after having had that bad attack at Geneva. I only hope she will not be bored, so long in the Same place; because that invariably disagrees with her. – If you answer by return of post, your letter will still find me here – pray do, it is so long since I have heard any thing of you – We shall probably set out Monday or Tuesday, & go up the river to London to Blickling for a visit – perhaps next to Belton – these visits we wish to make, before we settle our establishment – where that will be, or what we shall do next, is enveloped in the mists of uncertainty – We have no home in England, & go there now only to see our friends & try whether the climate will do as well as Nice – it cannot do worse – however we shall be obliged to live most economically – & as that is not a brilliant prospect, I dare say it will end in our coming abroad again –

Give my best love to Constance ⁶ – I hope she is stronger since she has been at Cowes, but I know nothing from England since I left Nice – pray therefore write at any rate –

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

Stavordale & Ste ⁷ dined with us yesterday – They go home Wednesday

Angleterre
W. H. Fox Talbot Esq^r
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts