TALBOT8225

London Friday

My Dear Constance

I hope you received a short letter from me this morning which was all I had time to write. I hope your feelings will be grown calmer by the time this reaches you, although I know how much you must be afflicted. I wrote to Charles in the evening as I promised. That letter he will get this afternoon.

I have had too much to do for the last few days, and in consequence have had very sleepless nights, last night especially I did not close my eyes till 4 oclock in the morning, and was up again between 9 and 10, but feel a little tired this morning.

Yesterday I travelled up from Cambridge with Lord Monteagle – He was very agreeable and chatted all the way, and then asked me to come and dine with him & L^y M. I could not think of any excuse at the moment, and so I accepted, but in fact I was very tired with my Cambridge exertions and the journey. L^d M’s dinner party was small and pleasant but I got overtired with Talking &c, & the result was what I have described, complete want of sleep. L^d M. had been to Cambridge to introduce his grandson at Trinity and we agreed it w^d be an excellent thing to bring him acquainted with Charles, so he is to undertake to bring it about, by writing a letter. When I wrote to Ela on Wedn^y, of course Charles had not had his examination or I should have mentioned it. The exⁿ was not till the following day. It began at 9 in the morning, till 12. It was in Greek and Latin. I saw Charles afterwards & he showed me the examinatⁿ paper, and I asked him to translate to me some of the most difficult passages as he had done when examined and I thought that he did it very well and therefore so far as Greek and Latin goes I have no doubt he has done quite well enough. Today is the mathematical examinatⁿ from 9 to 12, and I do not expect he will do quite so well, from recent want of practice. Those who do not pass have another chance allowed them by a renewed examinatⁿ 3 weeks hence. Charles has already found out several Harrow friends, and the young men are discovering each other daily. Young Ross is ill, and not able to come up at present. I thought things looked pleasant enough at Cambridge. Charles was at 2 evening parties at D^r Whewell’s – and I took him to Downing and introduced him to my old friend the Master. In short I saw no reason why things should not go on smooth enough, and I think You may dismiss anxiety from your mind on his account at present – His health only appeared to suffer a trifle, as any body else’s might, from the bustle and novelty, and the annoyance of having an examination to commence with, when so many other things had to be looked after. With respect to our plans for a winter residence, for my own part I should prefer spending the winter at Lacock, where I have much to do, but since you all wish for society I am ready to take a house at Edinburgh. But it would be a bad plan in my opinion to take a house in Scotland in the winter, not being in Edinburgh, for we should thereby lose the advantages of either plan, our own home, or Society. I do not however object to a distance of 1 or 2 miles from Edinburgh as that would not at all prevent our friends calling on us, and we on them. The neighbourhood of Dunbar is extremely dreary – I spent good part of a day there and explored in all direction.

Caroline informs me that L^d M^t E. is in Town with only Flora to take care of him – I am going to set off and see him as soon as I have finished this letter. C. herself is at M^t Edgcumbe enjoying drives in autumnal woods, after an absence of a Twelvemonth that she has never slept in the house. She luckily escaped 2 storms in the steam yacht by putting into harbours, and Charlie a worse one by crossing the Irish Channel 12 hours before it occurred. That was the one alarmed you all in Cumberland, I think the 3^d October, it afterwards proceeded to the Baltic and caused terrific ravages. I received your letter with Lucy Pullen’s statement, it was delayed a day on the road. Goodwin is actively enquiring today for a footman. I gave him M^lle A’s letter of commissions. When I get a footman we shall return to Lacock for a short space that Goodwin may initiate him into his duties.

I see it is getting late for my visit to L^d M^t E. so I must conclude for today – I am so very glad that Matilda has returned to Speddoch in so much improved health

Your aff^te

Henry

I received the letter you sent to the post on Sunday with the adv^t of Bowerhill house.