TALBOT7585

Athole Crescent ¹

Wednesday night

My dear Henry

I send you this little letter on business, by Charles, ² because I think it will save time, and perhaps you may write now a line in answer from London – Charles will tell you how he & I hunted up & down Edinburgh for photographs today, with very indifferent success. I shall wait for further instructions; but we think all that we saw today were too large or too small – and none can be had un mounted – I will pay Ross & Thompson, but should not have done so without your order – for I concluded you had settled it yourself. Professor Forbes ³ has been ill – and I believe he & M^rs Forbes are going almost immediately into the country for his benefit – (He has sent home your galvanic machine) which shall travel to Lacock with our luggage. I have been busy today paying some of my Bills – having sent Goodwin ⁴ to the Bank to enquire whether the remittance of £150, which you announced to me in your letter of Saturday, had been received; & if so, to draw out £100 – He brought me the money, with a message to say that the Bank had not yet received the £150 – and that they would write & tell you so. – The reason I was so desirous of getting this money today, was on account of tomorrow being the half yearly Feast-day, when the shops are closed & all business is suspended. – I was very glad to receive this announcement of £150 – in order to get forward with some of my payments. – but it will not (of course) nearly cover the whole.

I have had a Tailor & Shirtmaker’s bill to pay for Charles. of about £14. – Szabo’s portraits ⁵ I understand are to be 23/ or 25/ each. making £6.5..0 if we are all taken; and the girls ⁶ seem really anxious to have my picture done as well as their own – if you wish for a second copy, there will be an addition of 7/ for each copy. Ela & Charles were taken on Monday – but we could not see the likenesses then – M^r Szabo gave 2 sittings to each, with the intention of offering one the choice of the 2 portraits but he said himself that Charles’s second sitting produced a bad result & was not worth copying – but and that the first would certainly give me satisfaction. – I must admit that he spared no pains in placing them, pushing about the hands & legs till he got everything in focus – and arranging Ela’s gown in graceful folds of drapery. He seemed to consider everything, and particularly to get the attitudes natural & free from stiffness. I am to go with Ros^d & Matilda on Monday –and then we shall see the result of Charles & Ela’s sittings. I have been trying to reckon up all I owe, but I cannot succeed in getting in the bills as fast as I could wish & I am obliged to guess at some – I have reckoned £12 for our journey to Keswick, and £15 for the expenses of the three Maids during their few days here after we leave & their journey home to Lacock. – I think £275. will be required to cover all, excepting the Rent, which you told me you would undertake yourself – I am asking now for £125 in addition to the 150 which you announced in your letter –

I sealed up M^r Steal’s big letter & gave it again to Charles to put in his trunk. I hope he will have a good journey tomorrow – He has promised to write to me on Saturday.

Y^r aff^te Constance