TALBOT3952

Lacock Abbey

Sunday 6 October

My Dear Henry

If Sir Augustus Calcott ¹ is in town (of which I am not certain) it will I fear seem extremely ungracious to leave it without taking any notice of him, after his civil messages & great desire of communicating with you, particularly as you probably have not des raisons majeures ² for quitting London one day more than another, and when once you have seen him correspondence will go on with more facility.

Tout bien consideré ³ I will not answer Miss Fox ⁴ till I hear again from you for fear I should be writing à contre sens ⁵

Aff^ly Y^rs

EF

We had yesterday the highest flood I ever remember seeing here. It was up to the top of the little grey gate by the Nun’s cauldron, the Gate you had made 3 or 4 y^rs ago. It is now subsiding fast. I have the contract you recommend only instead of being with the Man who owns the soil, it is with the same who did it for me 3 y^rs ago, & who fulfilled it to the letter. It only waits for your consent to be ratified, the preliminaries being settled. Of course if the soil is to be conveyed to the more distant pond (that was) there must be a new estimate as it is further off