Marle Hill ^<1>
Tuesday July 13

My dear Henry

I am very glad to have heard from you at last – though disappointed at the non success of Barmouth – I hope however that the excursion did you good. – I am sorry you did not get my letters sooner – and very sorry you could not make up your mind at once about the stone gallery floor. ^<2>– for the delay of so many days is of consequence – & I am sorry now that I did not venture at once to give the order as I am sure you cannot help approving of it highly. – Pray send me your consent by return of post as it is essential to have it done & the gallery cleaned during the absence of all of us. – I shall expect to hear in a day or two about your own return home, for I must regulate my own mine accordingly, & my Uncle & Aunt ^<3> wish to keep us (I can see) more than a week indeed as long as we can manage to stay. –

I sent a letter to you at Barmouth as late as Friday – enclosing one from M^r Strangways. ^<4>

I left the remaining Drawings ^<5> (14 I think) in Porters ^<6>care, in case you should write to him to send them to you in Town –

We had a very prosperous expedition here having waited only a quarter of an hour at Chippenham ^<7> & another quarter at Swindon Junction. – We took the inside of a Coach at Cirencester & put our Servants & luggage outside – & the driver set us down at my Uncle’s door. We left home at one & reached Marle Hill at six. – and none of us are much tired today.

Excuse haste as we are going out in the carriage, the weather having cleared up. – Pray tell Lady Elizabeth ^<8> that I am quite certain to be at home before she is.

Your affectionate
Constance.

H. F. Talbot Esq^re
31. Sackville Street
London

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Notes:

1. Marle-Hill House, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

2. See Doc. No: 04304.

3. Eleanor Newton, née Stephenson (1788-1880), wife of Sarah Leaper Newton's brother, Robert Newton Leaper-Newton (1775-1846); they lived at Marle-Hill House, Cheltenham.

4. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4^th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.

5. See Doc. No: 04281 and Doc. No: 04284.

6. Charles Porter (b. 1828), a servant at Lacock Abbey. He was the frequent subject of photographs and occasionally also photographic assistant.

7. Chippenham, Wiltshire: largest town near Lacock, 3 miles N.

8. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.