TALBOT7023

Saturday July 22^d
Greta Bank. ¹

My dear Henry

I have this morning received your letter of the 17^{th 2} being the second you have written to me from Turin – Your former one, with its three companions, was received last Monday the 17^th. We all thank you very much for writing such amusing details of your travels – M^lle Amélina ³ especially desires me to express her acknowledgements. She regrets her inability to answer, as you do not give a fresh address; and she thinks it very unlikely that you should remain at Turin or its environs, long enough for a letter to reach you – Of On the bare chance of this, however, I have determined to send you a few lines, as it will be of little consequence if they never reach you – and I will not run the risk of your feeling disappointed at receiving no further news of us, should you prolong your stay yet a few days – We shall try to make out the geneology of those Indian Shakespears, ⁴ when we next meet our Applethwaite ⁵ acquaintance; and shall probably find your conjecture confirmed. I was not aware that M^rs Thackeray’s ⁶ brothers had settled in India – Supposing them to have made their fortunes there as prople do generally, I think they might have done something to assist their Sister in their her difficulties – They are now on a visit to friends in Ireland, but we shall see them again on their return, – as we propose a Matinée de dessin ⁷ with M^r Shakespear, who has a great taste for sketching; and we have promised to shew him M^r Vardon’s ⁸ water colour views of this country and to give him a few hints about his method of colouring. – We mean definitively to have our grand soireé on Tuesday, Aug 1 – having been compelled from one cause or another to postpone it all this time. The notes of invitation will be written today, & sent out on Monday next. We give a week’s notice, that nobody else may take our day – On the same Tuesday, (but early in the morning) we expect Charles⁹ to arrive under the escort of M. Ménard, ¹⁰ who will be our guest for a few days –

This gentleman is the French Master and drawing Master at Dummer House; whose intention of making a tour to the Lakes during the Summer holidays was mentioned by Charles in one of his last letters. The happy idea immediately struck me that he might escort Charles, and save my having to send Goodwin. ¹¹ all the way. – M Ménard accepted the charge without hesitation, accompanied as it was by the invitation to himself and M^r Williams ¹²assures me that we shall find him very gentlemanly & agreeable.

I am sure you will approve of this arrangement, as it saves all anxiety & all trouble in getting Charles here – They will start on Monday, but I believe they will sleep that night at Birthwaite, or at Kendal, if they come to late for the last Windermere train. We have had some very fine days this present week, and quite hot. On Monday we ascended the Dodd on the Mirehouse side, & descended near Oakfield, under the guidance of Miss Sarah Spedding. It was a beautiful day, but the walk proved rather too severe – and M^lle Amélina was laid up with fatigue for 2 or 3 days – which caused us to reap less advantage of the beautiful weather than we otherwise should. These long walks do not suit either her or Ela, ¹³ or myself: indeed we fell into a similar error on the previous Wedensday (the 12^th) which was also a charming day – We walked all round Latrigg that day; setting out by the wood road, (which you call Forest lane) & back by the Skiddaw road. – That day M^r Wilson dined with us, which did not help us to rest; next day we drank tea at Oakfield; Friday Miss Southey brought 2 little nieces to an early tea & Strawberry feast; Saturday we went to a sheep shearing at Ashness (a very hot day this). Sunday again was very fine, and all this week, so that you see you are not more favored than ourselves – And indeed I think our more moderate temperature must be far pleasanter than the concentrated heat which you describe at Turin. – In winter I suppose the cold is increased from the same cause which produces heat in Summer

Since I wrote to you, I have learnt from Harriot Mundy ¹⁴ that Caroline ¹⁵ has resigned her office as Lady in Waiting – Were you aware of her intention? I suppose she w^d mention it to you when you last met her in Town– I have written to congratulate her, but have heard nothing yet from herself confirming the report – I have no hesitation however in believing Herriot to be correct – as she had seen Caroline so lately. – I see I have been rambling on about all sorts of trifles, which will scarcely appear interesting at the distance from home, even if my letter comes to hand at Turin – but if it follows you from place to place, it will be still worse –

We are all pretty well again now, having partially recovered our fatigue, and mean to be more prudent in future. – But what excuses our temerity sometimes, is the fear of leaving so many things unseen when the time comes for leaving this country altogether – I assure you there are many words of regret spoken when the Subject is mentioned –

Your affectionate
Constance