TALBOT3697

Lacock Abbey
June 20. –

My dear Henry.

I was so pleased with your entertaining letter yesterday ¹ & so delighted with Horatia’s! ² – Pray give her my particular love & thank her for having at last broken silence – and tell her that I shall write very soon & give her all the information that she wishes for about her Garden. – I suppose you intend prolonging your absence a little beyond what you first talked of, as you have not named a day for returning. – at any rate I hope this letter will reach you in time for you to act upon the information which I am now about to give – Yesterday, one of your labourers ( George Heath, ³ son of Horatia’s favorite, widow Heath) picked up on the grass (on the South terrace I believe) a gold ring with the name Lady Hunloke ⁴ engraved on it – being rather large (this is the circumference.) ⁵

I feel rather afraid of venturing it in the letter without your advice. – I could fix it under a large seal perhaps & make rather a bulky letter enclosed to M^r Strangways ⁶ which I imagine would ensure its reaching you in safety – & I suppose that you could easily convey it to Lady Hunloke at Richmond. – but I will wait for your directions. – I hope you will tell her that it was found by a labourer, a very poor man, – that she may be prompted to reward him for his honesty

We have read D^r Lardner’s ⁷ article on Animal Magnetism ⁸ & feel disposed to withhold our Assent from some particulars especially that of clairvoyance, which seems so entirely repugnant to common reason & all experience – What do you think of this part of the subject? you did not mention having witnessed anything of this kind. –

Emily ⁹ is much alarmed at the possibly dangerous results of this new Science & she is very much afraid that it will sometime be her lot to live next door to a Magnetiser & that he will amuse himself by trying experiments upon her or some other inmate of the house. –

Nothing can go on better than Groves & the children ¹⁰ – how charming this is! – My sisters ¹¹ desire their love.

Your affectionate
Constance

I hope Harriot ¹² has not failed to send to you the parcel which you so kindly said you could bring down for my sisters – it will not mind being a little squeezed. –

As you were so kindly interested about our heads, you will be glad to hear they are much better. –

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