TALBOT6952

York Hotel Margate
Friday –

My dear Henry

We have a most brilliant day today, to make us ample amends for yesterday, which was sufficiently miserable – We drank tea with the Gilders– ¹ my Sister appears only middling in health, but very cheerful & glad to see me – I am afraid she suffers a good deal still and is very feeble – I have sat with her some time alone today – since which we have taken (Ela & I) a very pleasant walk with M^r Gilder – Margate is more interesting and possesses many more resources than I had imagined. And it is quite open sea, whereas I had expected to discern the bounds of a river on the opposite shore – We walked on the pier, on the Cliffs and through part of the Town – We saw in our progress several interesting things. the views as shown in a camera obscura – with the moving sea & the waves dashing over the landing; which pleased us very much – We then viewed the Baths and then the excavations in the cliff connected with them – inspected the site of the new town which they care going to build, and lastly visited a curious grotto which was discovered by chance some thirty years ago – and of the making of which no Inhabitant of Margate knows the history yet the workman ship of it is very elaborate and must have cost much time and ingenuity to execute. –

Ela & I were tired after our journey of yesterday & previous day’s fatigue, but the air here is so pure and invigorating that our walk did us a great deal of good – M^r Gilder is very hospitable in his invitation; but we declined dining with him, and are going in presently to tea. Ela sends her love – she found plants on the cliff which she intends showing you to learn their names – I think they are the result of stray cultivation – I agree about the Maid, that you & Harriot were discussing – but the present necessity being nearly passed, there is time to think about it – and perhaps Anna may learn English after a while – Ela hopes you got the letter we wrote yesterday to announce our arrival – I have lost a pair of scissors – rather large ones – did you see them? – I believe I must have left them in the hotel sitting room –

Your affectionate
Constance

Ela had a nice letter from Matilda today – I had one from Rosamond yesterday – all well.