Hôtel Sinet
Rue Faubourg St Honoré
4 Fevrier
My Dear Henry
as I conclude you must come here about your own business, I think you might as well time it so as you to return with me, I intend leaving this the 20th February & leaving Horatia with her sister <1> for a little time as Caroline stays till 5th March. Pray let me know by return of post whether you can do this as I should feel much safer travelling with you, to say nothing of its being more agreeable at the same time tell me whether I should find you & Constance <2> at Laycock the months of March & April because I should not like to be there quite alone & I do not intend to go to London till after Easter. Paris does not amuse me much, I suppose my tastes are changed since former days. It is a great waste of time & money. Horatia is flourishing in health & the place agrees with her. It does not with me, & I have not been well at all these last few days. I have got a very clean French Doctor who lived vingt cinq ans en Angleterre, <3> I like him much, but the air of Laycock is my only cure. Pray answer this directly, as I want to know what I can depend on for the Months of March & April. Since the Duc de Bassano <4> drew up that Paper, he has seen some of the Kalotypes <5> I brought with me, with which he is entousiasmé <6> & says he sees what may be exploité <7> and that clearly yours are not done by an Artist or by anybody who takes pains about grouping, back grounds &c. He foresees an avenir de célébrité <8> for the Art. Since I began this letter the air is darkened with snow, I can hardly see to write & every thing announces a heavy fall - but we must hope it will not last long so late in the year, for it makes every thing odious. Caroline is souffrante, <9> she has written to the Queen <10> to be excused her next waiting, nor do I see much chance of her being able to take one before next July. Valletort <11> is to go home with me, his holidays have been more extended than Mr Atwood <12> will approve of, but he has not been losing his time absolutely as he learns to draw of a good Master & has a great genius which will be an advantage in future
Notes:
1. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810-1851), WHFT's half-sister, and 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. Twenty-five years in England.
4. Hugues Antoine Joseph Eugène Maret, Marquis de Bassano (1806-1889), photographic entrepreneur, Paris.
5. Although WHFT always used the term calotype, others used kalotype or sometimes Talbotype.
6. She means 'enthusiastic'.
7. Exploited.
8. Future of celebrity.
9. Unwell; she was to give birth to a daughter in August 1843.
10. Victoria (1819-1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901), Empress of India (1876-1901).
11. William Henry Edgcumbe, 'Val', 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832-1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT's nephew 'Bimbo'.
12. Rev Henry Adams Sergison Atwood (1800-1877), author.