Berne
Hôtel de la Couronne
July 8th 1833
My Dear Mr F.
We did enquire for letters, at the Ambassador’s at Paris – The answer was that there was nothing – You say that you have written to the Suisse to forward a letter which contained an enclosure from Caroline <1> to Constance <2>, but it is not arrived. How could you think that we stayed a whole day at Boulogne, we did not do any such thing: we arrived at Boulogne on Friday, slept Saturday at Airaines, Sunday at Beaumont sur Oise and arrived at Paris at noon on Monday. I hope you received my letter containing an account of my parting with Dominico <3> and engaging Francesco <4>. He serves us very well. We are all much surprised at your having given a ball, and the more so, as it only appears by implication that the ball was at home, from the circumstance of your having required a bed at Lansdowne House <5> on the occasion. If it had not been for that, we should not have guessed what ball you were speaking of –
We had very pleasant weather for the journey, but latterly extremely hot, so that we walked on the banks of the lake of Neufchatel by starlight without hats & bonnets – On Sunday however about the middle of the day a great storm of rain came on, while we were at Aarberg, so that we entered Berne on a very wet evening – It rained all Sunday evening & night, and at present (Tuesday noon) it is raining hard as ever without any appearance of abating –
I have not time before the post goes to give any account of our adventures therefore I must reserve them for my next letter. Direct Poste Restante, Berne.
Yours affly
Henry Talbot
Monsieur
M. le Capitaine Feilding
31 Sackville Street
Londres
Notes:
1. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
2. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
3. A servant.
4. A servant.
5. Lansdowne House, London: home of the Marquis of Lansdowne, WHFT's uncle and cousins.