TALBOT5611

2 Old Mall ¹
Monday March 23^d

My dear Henry

I scarcely know where to direct to you – as I fancy you must have gone back to London immediately – but nobody has told me – I have had two very interesting letters from M^rs Roberts ² telling me much of what has been passing at Lacock – It was her own thought to write to me the first time – & finding that she was disposed to pour out her feelings to me I wrote to ask her several things. – She tells me she believes Horatia ³ will come to stay with us at Lacock till we go abroad. – is this so? –

The Lady who lodges in the lower part of this house is M^rs Mytton of Montgomerys – She has been a widow about 5 years – It strikes me that she must be of that family who married one of the Talbots of Lacock – whose pictures hang in the little brown gallery – She bought one of the numbers of the Pencil of Nature ⁴ at Bristol – & is so enthusiastic an admirer of the pictures therein contained, that she declares the ardent desire of her soul is to see the Author – where were it only for an instant – On hearing our names she made instant enquiry whether it was your family – As there appears little chance of her seeing you, I mean to indulge her with a sight of Charles ⁵ – She is devoted to the picturesque & spends her whole time in sketching – even at this unfavorable season. –

I wish we could have some fine weather. – but we have been almost constantly in the house since we came. – Fortunately it is a very comfortable one – and our Landlady is civil – and acquits herself perfectly well in the culinary department. – I am very glad you did not overpersuade me to go to the Hotel. – It is much better to look upon its façade, as we now do –

Your affectionate
Constance. –

I hope you received a little letter ⁶ which I wrote the same evening that we arrived here – I have not written since –

I had a letter from M^rs Hicks ⁷ this morning – she is piquée at Wright ⁸ having forgotten to give you a message about her son’s attending the funeral ⁹ – I will keep her letter to show you & will write her a soothing answer.