11. Moray Place
March 12th
My dear Henry
I received you letter with the 2 inclosures yesterday – and I will take care of Patterson’s Receipt – Thank you for paying Fry’s bill – The other small ones for the Lacock Poor were returned to me by Wilkins, duly receipted – Mr Patterson’s date is quite right Decr 4th – Our servants took possession that day at an early hour to commence preparations, and we followed on the 6th – I shall find it convenient now to receive any the small remittance which you talked of being able to let me have previous to the rent day. – This will suit me better than waiting till you come, if you can spare any small sum just now. – If not, you will perhaps let me know. – I hope you had Rosamond and my letters this morning, and that you liked our description of Millburn Tower.<1> – It is certainly a very pretty place.
Major Yelverton is the Brother of Mrs Walker – and she is as you may suppose much distressed about this sad affair – Through Matilda & Mr Clark we learn, that though they admit that much blame is deservedly attributed to him yet something may be said in palliation of his conduct – the Lady having certainly done all in her power to entrap him – They think moreover that the verdict cannot stand, and that proof will be given of his having been a Protestant during some part of the 12 twelvemonths preceding the Irish marriage. And the existence of a Scotch marriage can scarcely be shown – What a disreputable woman she must be! – and is it not disgraceful that the public feeling in Ireland, that the Press, that the Judge even, should be so strongly biassed in her favor, and espouse her cause? – The Walkers had promised to join our Party at the Theatre last week to see Mr & Mrs Charles Kean – but she was too much shocked and annoyed to appear in such a public place – indeed she said she felt she could not go anywhere just then – It is very hard upon his family – but one is glad to see that they do not in any degree resemble him in their views of morality. – Monie told you how much we had enjoyed seeing Hamlet – so we went again to the theatre last night to see Macbeth – and on Saturday, which will be the 16th of March, we talk of going with Matilda & Mr Clark to the Corsican Brothers, which concludes the series of 12 nights’ engagement –
I am glad you have fine weather – it is so here today – but rather cold. Yesterday morning early we had a snow storm – but in an hour or two the white mantle wholly disappeared.
All are well – your affectionate
Constance.
Notes:
1. Millburn Tower, Gogar, just west of Edinburgh; the Talbot family made it their northern home from June 1861 to November 1863. It is particularly important because WHFT conducted many of his photoglyphic engraving experiments there. The house had a rich history. Built for Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), an 1805 design by Benjamin Latrobe for a round building was contemplated but in 1806 a small house was built to the design of William Atkinson (1773-1839), best known for Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford. The distinctive Gothic exterior was raised in 1815 and an additional extension built in 1821. Liston had been ambassador to the United States and maintained a warm Anglo-American relationship in the years 1796-1800. His wife, the botanist Henrietta Liston, née Marchant (1751-1828) designed a lavish American garden, sadly largely gone by the time the Talbots rented the house .