Saturday
My Dear Henry
If it is quite the same thing to you, I wish you would defer your journey till Wednesday because we have been obliged by the Doctor’s order, to remove Esther <1> into the bedroom on the ground floor, being the only one vacant with a fire place. She has a severe attack of Influenza, I thought this house would not escape much longer. Horatia <2> has it too, but in a much slighter degree. answer by return of post because if your business must bring you up on Monday we can contrive by dislodging my maid to put you up in your old room at the top of the house, only we must know it, to get it ready. Your ressource <sic> in the Sackville Hotel is at an end, they are bankrupts.
Constance <3> has not sent me the dimensions of the Fire place in your library, I suppose you forgot to tell her.
Affly yrs
EF
I conclude you bring Nicole <4>
Notes:
1. Servant.
2. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
3. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
4. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.