TALBOT7225

11 Moray Place
Thursday Feby 14.

My dear Henry

I return you these two letters with thanks for allowing me to see them. – Your Cousin Emma’s ¹ is so far satisfactory that it speaks of M^rs Traherne’s ² composure under these afflicting circumstances. It must be a great comfort to her to have so many of the family gathered around her; all doing their best to cheer and assist: – yet what a terrible shock her feeble frame must inevitably have sustained? – We have been reading the Case with great interest. – I should think it will be much protracted if the other side enter into equally minute details – I am not greatly surprised at the plea set up by the disappointed nephew; because M^r Traherne ³ was really a very eccentric character, to say the least – you remember my telling you how the girls & I met him on our journey from Penllergare ⁴ in October or November /58 – and what a singularly unpleasant and startled feeling we had when he stepped from the carriage he & M^rs Traherne were travelling in, to give us the benefit of his company. – I was frightened the whole time by his very strange appearance & manner – And I saw a great alteration in him –

I want much to hear from you again – do you suffer from this return of winterly weather? – I must mention now, for fear I sh^d forget when you come back to Edinburgh, that the Professor of Music (M^r Donaldson) sent some tickets for the Reid Concert ⁵ (which took place yesterday) with a civil letter to you, explaining that he presented them to you at the request of his friend Dean Ramsay. ⁶ Seeing from the envelope that they were Reid Concert tickets, I broke the seal, & time not permitting me to apprise you of the circumstance, I returned the tickets through Dean Ramsay, and requested him to acknowledge the compliment. – I did so because we could not use them, and the Professor’s not stated that the applications were far beyond what he could meet. I explained to Dean Ramsay that you were absent from Edinburgh. –

I saw both Matilda & M^r Clark ⁷ today – the latter says that M^r Maxwell bears the loss of his sister better than was expected. – The funeral will be on Saturday & M^r Clark goes down to Dabton ⁸ tomorrow Evening. Rosamond ⁹ & I are just come in from shopping, and drinking tea with your M^rs Walker ( L^d Avonmore’s ¹⁰ daughter) – who is our neighbour in Heriot Row. – We found a room full of Ladies – & after tea, her nice little Baby was brought in for us to see. A little intelligent thing, not very pretty but perfectly happy among a number of strange faces – I dare say she would take a fancy to you, as M^rs Campbell’s Baby did, the first year we knew them in Manor Place. – Do you remember the elder boy who could repeat the names of ever so many exotic plants? –

M^lle Amélina ¹¹ is still confined to her room – but is better. –

Your affectionate
Constance.