Hotel d’Orient Rue N L Augusta
Paris Friday Aug. 6th
My dear Papa –
Mama thanks you for your letter received last Monday, and if Charles is with you please to say that I received one from him dated London July 30th We have been extremely busy since we arrived in Paris – shopping as well as sight-seeing so that I have had but little time for writing – we have also had very favourable weather not too hot which is a great comfort – Bayer has been of more use to us just now that at any time during our journey – he seems quite in his element here and gratified to serve as guide to the Louvre, Tuileries &c – I have been two or three times to the former and have seen some of the principal pictures – of course it is quite impossible even to attempt to go through all the rooms one would like to visit. There are some very fine flower and fruit pieces by the Dutch painters principally those by Jan Van Huysum of Amsterdam (18th centy) and those by Jan Davidz de Heem – 17th centy. I have also been for one hour to the Hotel Cluny which would be very interesting if one had time enough to study read the catalogue and study the history of the curious old furniture, ecclesiastical ornaments &c &c of the middle ages which it contains – ask Charles if he paid a visit to the Saint Chapelle which is now being restored as it was originally in the 13th century. I suppose I ought to have admired it extremely but I did not care for it much, not being a connoisseur – Notre Dame I do admire that is to say the outside – only its effect is somewhat spoiled by its towers being unfinished – Mama and I also went to the manufactory of the Gobelin tapestry – so that you see we have really made the most of our limited time – & We took a peep at the Animals at the Jardin des Plantes on our way there. Mama likes this house very much, and having such a quiet room has been able to rest well at night. – we also find the table d’hôte remarkably good, and not more expensive than in other hotels. I was quite sorry that you should have run away from us at Neuchatel – for Bradshaw says that that lake is particularly interesting from being surrounded with the remains of the Ancient lake habitations of the age of Stone – which I fancy you cannot have seen or else you would have told us something about it –
And about the time of our stay here, Mama desires me to ask you if you have any objection to our remaining over Sunday 15th which is the day of the Emperor’s fête – and the illuminations are expected to be something very grand. Bayer has never been in Paris before for the occasion and I am sure would be much disappointed if his family insisted on leaving the day before – it would quite hurt his feelings as Courier! he says there will be no increase in the Price of our apartments and that I could walk with him in the evening in the uncrowded part of the streets (we should not attempt to see the fireworks or expose ourselves to any danger of course but behave reasonably.) – This is not however the principal reason for prolonging our stay a few days – but we find it quite impossible to be ready to start before the 13th or 14th – as Henriette is taking lessons of the Coiffeur and she must take a certain number for them to be of any use to her. Then Mama wishes to have a spare day to go and see Fontainebleau – and she also wishes to avoid being in London on a Sunday which would be inconvenient – and on consulting the time tables we find that the hours of the train which corresponds with the Boulogne boat are particularly convenient on Monday 16th not being so early as on the friday or Saturday of this week. – Please to write and tell us if you approve of this arrangement? By staying here a day or two over our original fortnight Mama would feel less hurried, and it would only make a single day’s difference in the time of our arrival at Lacock which would be in this case Wednesday 18th instead of Tuesday – Mama will write to you herself when she gets your answer to see if the day we propose suits you for coming to meet us in London – We should leave Folkstone onTuesday morning early so as to leave half the day in London – sleep there Tuesday night reaching Lacock on Wednesday –
Mama told you she was going to have an interview with the wine merchant at Dijon & and <sic> she wishes me to say that she has ordered a small assortment to be sent to Lacock which may possibly arrive before we do – They are chiefly light wines for tasting & drinking whilst the Clarks are with us – so that Charles need not trouble himself to order any thing in for his brother-in-law.
You know that Tilly intends to bring the children –
Good-bye dear Papa
I am rather hurried as usual
yr affecte daughter Ela
Mama wrote to Goodwin the other day Tuesday last