Dearest Henry

There are various ways of corresponding with absent friends, & I assure you I was much pleased with the one you adopted yesterday. – I have placed all the flowers so carefully named by you, between the leaves of a book & mean to keep them as a souvenir of your affection. –

I conclude I am not to expect you this evening as you have not given me notice. – should you happen to come tomorrow however, you will find me flown away, which I shall be very sorry for – but there is no help for it, because they have some people dining with them in Queen Anne St, ^<1> whom they insist upon my meeting. – James too will be absent, because I have promised his assistance, in lieu of their usual waiter who is engaged. – I know you will not want him the moment you arrive as you will have Edward ^<2> with you. – & the Page will I have no doubt exert himself to please you. –

I fear your friend M^r Babbage ^<3> has no chance for Finsbury. ^<4> –

Ask Horatia ^<5> if it is not almost time to visit Mr Hogg’s ^<6> carnations. – You seem to have some very pretty ones at Lacock from the specimens sent, & the Roses must be at their greatest perfection. –

Y^r affectionate

Constance

Tuesday July 1^st

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Notes:

1. Edward, a valet to WHFT.

2. 44 Queen Ann Street: London home of the Mundy family and a frequent base for WHFT.

3. Prof Charles Babbage (1792–1871), mathematician & inventor.

4. Babbage contested the borough of Finsbury, in 1832 and 1834, on liberal principles.

5. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.

6. John Hogg (1800–1869), FRS, Fellow of the Linnean Society.