Markeaton ^<1>
Tuesday October 18.–

My dear Henry

Think of my last letter ^<2> finding you still at home! You & yours, certainly are the most uncertain people I ever heard of. – I feel rather sorry now that you should continue putting off, for I long to see you exceedingly; & besides I fear I am grown rather too dull to be a very desirable visitor for a much longer continuance. – I have got some of the stupid feelings which troubled me on a former occasion, & though I am not surprised at them, I regret that they should have intruded themselves just when I wanted to have been in my brightest humour – The William Mundys ^<3> are tired of waiting for you, and are therefore going home towards Thursday – This step is perhaps more likely to bring you than anything. – M^rs Crowther ^<4> left us this morning & is gone to pay a visit to M^rs Gell at Copse Hill.. – and she & her hostess propose returning together towards Thursday or Friday – They will not remain long, but you may have the good fortune to meet them, perhaps if you make immense haste & the pleasure which both ladies would feel in seeing you would be something quite uncommon – We have had our share of the gales which did so much mischief at Lacock though the effects of them were much less severe here than those which you describe. Indeed I am quite grieved that our poor dear trees should have suffered so severely – But still more lamentable were the numerous disasters at sea! – Here no single tree suffered beyond the loss of a few of its branches, though one enormous Elm had its roots completely loosened from the soil & rocked about most fearfully. –

Harriet & I have been driving out today in search of the crocus nudiflorus, in compliance with the wishes of M^r Strangways, ^<5> who as Harriet herself would say, is crazy to have some of their bulbs – We succeeded so far as to discover in a field near Allestree a plant in some respects answering the description – that is to say we found a small crocus of a delicate purple colour but it has not the tiny bulbs which M^r Strangways requires. – But alas! we have just discovered that it is not a real crocus – for it has six Stamens & is therefore liliacum & we much fear it is nothing but the common colohicum. If it is the Colohicum however it certainly bears a very different appearance from those which we saw at Briegg in the pretty meadow where I made a sketch. – They were much larger & of a paler colour than those we found today.– O that you were here to enlighten our ignorant minds!– Ela ^<6> cut another tooth yesterday I am happy to say, with no worse symptom than a little waywardness – Of course the eighth must follow soon. – Her newly acquired words would form quite a long list were I to tell them you all – Uncle (which is very difficult) she says very plain – also cousin beautifully up & come & pretty she is very fond of using, & always on the right occasion – Aunt she tries hard to say but cannot pronounce it well – Mary she calls Ma & Clifford ^<7> Rickata – In general sense, she is wonderfully impre ^<8> & her good behaviour is admired by everyone. – In the latter respect she is thought to surpass her cousin. ^<9> He poor child has been quite ailing the last few days & we prudently forbad them being together, but it proved nothing more than a feverish attack which is now going off – What can be the reason that so many Servants are leaving Lacock at once! – Mary Kennedy ^<10> too I hear is either gone or going – which I feel particularly sorry for – The Housemaid too I like much, & I am the more surprised at her going, because her sister Clifford had not the smallest idea of it when we left home.–

Adieu dearest – your affectionate
Constance –

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^re
31. Sackville Street
London

---

Notes:

1. Markeaton Hall, Derbyshire, NW of Derby: home of the Mundy family.

2. Probably Doc. No: 03379.

3. William Mundy (1801-1877), politician, WHFT’s brother-in-law; and his wife, Harriot Georgiana Mundy, née Frampton (1806-1886), WHFT’s cousin & sister-in-law.

4. A cousin of Francis Mundy (1771–1837), politician and father of Constance Talbot.

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

6. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1^st daughter.

7. Lady’s maid and nurse.

8. Text torn away under seal.

9. Francis Noel Mundy (1833–1903), WHFT’s nephew.

10. Ela’s former nurse [see Doc. No: 03259].