TALBOT3672

S^t Leonards ¹
May 11^th

My dear Henry

I shall be quite willing to bestow my utmost care & attention upon dear Bimbo ² if Caroline ³ likes to send him to Lacock – and if he is ready to go soon you might take charge of him on the journey. – Caroline will of course decide whether she has sufficient confidence in M^rs Palmers judgment to trust him out of her sight – Pray assure her that any directions she may give one about him shall be scrupulously attended to – & that au reste ⁴ will promise not to treat him harshly – but will watch him with 3 times as much care as I do my own children. – Does Lady Elisabeth ⁵ approve of the plans? I know it is a heavy charge especially with so delicate a child as Bimbo is – but I would do anything for Caroline’s sake – and I think with you that country air is more likely than anything to keep him in health – I suppose it would be of no use for me to come through to London for the purpose of picking him up – or (to express myself more correctly) to enable our 2 carriages to travel together.

I am going to speak to M^r Edlin about the practicability of the Cuckfield road which you mentioned yesterday – and if he discourages me from attempting it then I will go the usual road to Seven Oaks – & enquire there whether I can travel easily to Guildford by the road you mention. – I certainly will not follow the old road unless I am obliged – & instead of coming into it again even at Newbury I should prefer going through Andover & Devizes –

I have bought some beautiful new colours for painting the chry crystals, & I hope I shall prosper better with them when I am established at Lacock.

I hope you will recollect to send orders to the Newspaper office about stopping the Globe ⁶

I have some idea that I said in one of my letters that my Sisters ⁷ would come to Lacock on the 22^nd I meant that they would leave S^t Leonards on the 21^st & be at Lacock on Tuesday 29^th Do you know of a good manservant for them? – Their present footman behaved so impertinently this morning that they were obliged to give him warning at once & tell him he might consider himself at liberty on this day month. His only answer was – “I am very glad of it ma’am” – I am quite vexed that they should have been served by such unworthy servants for the last nine months

What a change there is again in the weather after those 2 or 3 very warm days! The sun is so bright but the air is so exceedingly cold that we are quite starved. –

We have been out of doors a long time to day visiting a little church in a wood & gathering flowers with the children. – The latter were immensely happy & sang to their Aunts & me all the way in the carriage. –

Your very affec^te
Constance

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