TALBOT339

June 22^d

My dear Henry

We shall be too happy to wait dinner for you on Monday & all of us I think will be very glad to see you. And next week I hope the weather will be more settled & enable us to do something beyond the powers of the poney-carriage – Hitherto we have ventured only on very small expeditions – Yesterday Marian & Emily ¹ drove to Melksham Spa, ² which they were curious to see thinking it might (some time or other) suit them for a residence – but I don’t think they were much pleased with its looks – Nicholl ³ who drove them, observed that he thought there was not much to see in it! – Of course if Monday should prove wet towards the conclusion of the day when you are expected, there will be no use in sending the Poney carriage for you – A large Mat & a rug have arrived within the last few days – from Sackville Street ⁴ I suppose when I saw the former standing erect in a corner of the Hall; I could not help reproaching myself for never having answered Lady Elisabeth’s ⁵ question of, ‘Should I like it to be sent down for the Stone Gallery? ⁶’ but she knows how I was then occupied & would make allowances for me. – We have been reading aloud the Ninth Bridgewater Treatise, ⁷ which has had the effect of astonishing our minds – we are anxious to know what you think of the ‘permanent impressions made by our words & actions on the Globe w^h we inhabit? – We have finished Waverly ⁸ & also the 1^st series of Whatelys Essays ⁹ – & we are now engaged with ‘Don Quichotte’ ¹⁰, which some of us have never read & from w^h we expect great entertainment

Your aff^te
Constance

I have sent the ring with this sewed to a card as you desired.

Lacock Abbey
June 22^d