TALBOT3667

St Leonards ¹
May 7^th

My dear Henry

I wish to avoid passing through London unless you have any good reason for wanting me to do so In a journey of that length it is a great object to save as much time & fatigue as possible on account of the Children ² – & I imagine that we could not set foot in London without wasting a great deal of time there – By avoiding London, I think we might easily manage to get home in two days. So if you agree to this, pray enlighten my mind in regard to the best places for sleeping – about mid way, that is, in time not in distance for I believe this half must require more hours than the half nearer home, where the roads are so flat & good. I shall be able to settle all the accounts without you if you will send me another cheque – I shall want about 30·£ besides the assistance which Nicholl ³ is able to afford from his own purse. We learn at the Coach office that there is no means of sending the Servants home except through London, because there are no coaches from hence to Bath – This I expected, & I want to know where I must order them to sleep in London – or Can they lodge for one night in Sackville Street? ⁴ – There will be only 2 – namely Rice, & Edward the page. Mary Anne ⁵ will also go up with them, but she you know is discharged from our Service. I should have liked exceedingly just to have seen Lady Elisabeth ⁶ & Horatia ⁷ & received any commissions they might have had for Lacock. So I hope they will think that I am very prudent & unselfish in taking another route. And you too dearest Henry – when shall I see you again? –

I am delighted to tell you that the pictures are now proceeding in the most promising manner, & though extremely unfinished I begin to perceive that the two little shadowy heads are not unlike those of our little darlings – M^r Forster now feels confident of success⁸ – & I can see that he is perfectly delighted with the subjects of his picture, especially with Ela – He said on Saturday that he often drew portraits of children that were called pretty & that parents made a great fuss about, but that he seldom had seen a child so beautiful in every sense of the word as Ela; & he added – “that is what I call a really fine head – there is something about it that pleases me amazingly” – and again today he said “It is not merely the face that must be drawn like, but there is a lightness & charm about her whole figure that must be given, in order to render a faithful likeness.” – I could not resist telling you all this, because I think it shews that there is no reason to fear a failure – Still you must not raise your expectation too high, for that would be illadvised – I hear that my Brother ⁹ has lately had his picture painted by Ross ¹⁰ the famous Miniature painter – & Harriot ¹¹ thinks it a good likeness – I ought to have told you that the childrens M^r Forster’s charge for children’s pictures is from 2 to 3 guineas each figure – & in this instance I dare say he will make the highest charge, because he has had more trouble than usual – Sir Henry Campbell has given me no answer yet about the Cook – I suppose he was in London instead of at Richmond, & that the letter has followed him –

My Sisters ¹² have had the satisfaction of hearing that their new carriage is nearly prepared for them & will be quite ready to convey them to Lacock on Tuesday the 22^d that the is, three weeks from tomorrow

We took a pleasant drive a few days ago & stopped in a charmingly romantic lane to gather some flowers & Ela immediately said “I wish Papa was here, he would have liked to gather some primroses.” Think of her having learned so early, to connect flowers with her recollections of Papa! –

Pray don’t forget the cushion in Queen Anne St ¹³ when you come to Lacock – when will that be? I am going to write to Hannah, to say she must prepare for our reception –

Your affectionate
Constance

£30 is the least sum I can manage with

H. F. Talbot Esq^re
31 Sackville Street
London