TALBOT8159

Oakfield Tuesday
July 24^th

My dear Henry

I have this morning received your letter of the 19^th from Vittoria, and the telegram of Sunday Evening, which reached Penrith sometime yesterday – and was forwarded to me by the regular post – I believe there is no Evening Coach from Penrith to Keswick; so that this morning’s mail would be the Station Masters’ earliest chance of forwarding it. Now that you can assure me that the worst is past, I feel a kind of relief in not having known of your illness sooner – but I had had a fear for some days past that something had gone wrong – It seemed so strange that your letters should have been interrupted so suddenly, without explanation. – and specially as Ma^lle Amélina & Rosamund both wrote to you at Vittoria – I hope you got those letters – and the several ones addressed to Bayonne – Last week (I think it was Friday) I wrote again to Bayonne, thinking you would be anxious for further accounts of Charles – I am so glad that your Servant proved to be such a comfortable nurse – I had an impression from what I saw of him at Lacock Abbey, that he was a good sort of man that might be trusted in any emergency – and he has proved himself worthy of my good opinion – You were uncommonly brisk & florishing when you started; but I have never felt quite satisfied that your health was such as to make it safe for you to ‘rough it’ in travelling as you did some 20 or 30 years ago. – And I should have felt really nervous about you with any attendent [sic]less steady and experienced than M^r – whose name has quite escaped me at this minute – I shall wish very much to hear how seabathing agres with you – for it strikes me as being rather a strong measure. – although bathing at Biarritz has the highest sanction as to its efficacy! – I am going to forward your letter to Speddoch today; for I know they will have felt as anxious about your silence as I have done. – I have such nice accounts of them all – and I shall expect Ros^d to come back much improved in looks – It is a week today since they left us – During this week Charles has been making progress – he is far more cheerful and less fanciful than he was – but has by no means regained the power of reading – This can only return by degrees – and I can see that he himself is watching for it. He sometimes turns over the pages of the Cornhill Magazine, or looks at a book of engravings, but without being able to continue even this beyond a few minutes. – He spends almost the whole of his day out in the air, by the Doctor’s orders – so that either wet or fine he walks & rides indefatigably – yesterday he rode to a cottage in Newlands where his friend ‘Eyre’ is reading with a Tutor and another a College friend of the said M^r Eyre – They met, owing to the wetness of the day: otherwise (as he explained to Charles) he is very hard to catch – for after reading the whole morning he goes out for a long walk – He actually walked from Newlands to Mirehouse – the other day – Last Saturday the M^r Speddings returned his visit, and Charles accompanied them, but M^r Eyre was out – Miss Russell & the young Shakespears are come to Ormalthwaite[sic]¹ – and are all looking well, except Hope who is pale. They walked over to see us about an hour ago – and went back happy to their dinner with a basket of Strawberries, of which they are immoderately fond. And unluckily the crop has failed this year at Ormalthwaite[sic] – The accounts from their Parents in India ² are good at present – and the little girl who is with them is better – But she had been very seriously ill, & M^r Shakespear also. His Magistracy has been turned into the jurisdiction of full Judge, as I understood, but without any chance of residence – He is still at Moradabad. with 3 months leave of residence in the Hills – where they are now gone. I hope they will go strong there – Their eldest daughter, Helen is a very fine handsome girl, but rather more womanly than appears natural at 13 or 14 (which is about her age I believe.) –

I must now close my letter with a hope that you have better weather at Biarritz than we have at Keswick – It is really cold, as well as raining; & I fear the crops will never ripen –

Your affectionate
Constance –

My accounts from Margate continue the same – neither sensibly better nor worse –