TALBOT462

Great Stuart Street. ¹
Friday Dec^r 7^th

My dear Henry –

I wonder whether you have heard from Lady Ilchester ² within the last day or two? – If so, she will have communicated to you the news which reaches me today through Harriot Mundy ³ – namely her intended marriage with Lord Hylton, late Sir W^m Joliffe [sic] –⁴ In one way I and the rest of us feel no surprise, as we always said Lady Ilchester would & should re-marry – but we scarcely thought it would be so soon – Harriot wishes she had deferred the announcement until the 2 years of her widowhood had expired – but I doubt whether such delay would have prevented the news from oozing out in some other more objectionable way – I think she was right to acquaint her own relations with the fact, as soon as consent was given. In my opinion Sir W^m Joliffe (or rather Lord Hylton) is too old for her – Her restlessness would be more congenial to a man ten years younger, or even still nearer her own age. Nevertheless I am very glad she is going to have some interest in life, some one to care for besides herself – when at Lacock the other day, we all observed with regret that she was so much taken up with her own ailments, both real and imaginary – We have written so frequently, that I have nothing to add today, except that the weather is rough – the wind rose very high last night and it rained a great deal in squally fashion – Towards sunset the sky cleared & the pavement dried, but the air feels colder –

I enclose a little scrap of information for Wilkins ⁵ about Felt Boots –

Your affectionate
Constance

Is Charles’s ⁶ new lodging 10 or 18 in Sackville St? he wrote it one way & corrected it so that it was not clear which he meant.