TALBOT3327

4 Circus, ¹
Sunday –

My dear Henry

We quite understand about the Package containing 2 Cases from New York. – It is what we had been expecting from M. de Billier ² – Please do let me have the Letter which you have received from the Ship-Agent at Liverpool, and the required explanation shall be given – On receipt of this he will state the amount of his claim for custom’s entry. Or perhaps he has already specified the amount in the letter which you hold. The freightage to Liverpool has been pre-paid as your doubtless observed in the Invoice of Mess^rs Acker Merrall & Condit – 21/– We will make it right – and the cases will be duly forwarded, as addressed, to 4 Circus. Yesterday the weather was as enjoyable here as you found it at Lacock – We drove to 2 Nursery gardens. and made a few small purchases of Spring things for this garden – Our hyacinths, tulips &c are in a very promising state, & we have a Ribes ³ in flower against the well. In the Park are some beautiful Almond trees in full bloom – Pretty as it is here, I am nevertheless wishful to see how the garden is looking at Lacock – and I believe R^d will be going over towards the end of the week. If I should feel tolerably energetic that morning, I will accompany her.

I hope we shall soon see the end of that odious Ashantee War. ⁴ All honor to Sir G Wolseley ⁵ for the skill with which he [illegible deletion] is bringing it to a close! – I was reading just now an amusing notice in Friday’s Times of M^r Skertchley’s adventures in Dohomey [sic] – to which he turned aside when the war prevented him from Entomologysing in Ashantee: did you read it? –⁶

The casualties of the War are most distressing – but I have long felt satisfied of Rice Nicholl’s ⁷ safety. a notice having been given of the Hampshire man (his namesake) – Who I wonder is the L^t Mundy, reported as killed? I must ask Harriot when I write –⁸

Your affectionate
Constance