Barrow House, Tuesday
July 23d.
1850 <in another hand>
My dear Henry
Though I have delayed but one day answering your letter from Mont d’or les biens (No 8) I almost fear you will have passed through Paris before our ^ <?> can reach you* – Your movements are so eccentric & rapid, that I cannot keep pace with them – The long letter I wrote you on Friday for the post Saturday 20th directed to Mont d’or, would certainly arrive their <sic> after your departure – and this is the only letter I have written since you left England – the reason is easily discernible – your absence has scarcely yet extended to a fortnight. – The Gaisfords will not come here till September, which I do not like nearly so well as if they had come now. The days will be so much shorter, & we shall have seen all we want to see in these immediate environs – Horatia writes word that she found Lady Lansdowne alone at Bowood (where she went Tuesday the 16th) and wonderfully well considering all she had gone through – The Howards are their <sic> now – Mr. Gaisford went to Iford and Horatia did not know whether she should have to go there for one day – She hoped not on account of the house being so small. She was to stay at Bowood only one week Charlie Edgcumbe has written me word of his safe arrival at Paris – having previously written to me from Ashleworth to announce his approaching departure – Tom Valletort is not to join his Parents their. <sic> I wonder if it would be any pleasure to him to come to us here –
Did you carefully observe all the things Sir Roderick Murchison told you of? I don’t think Geology is much in your line.
I have taken Charles today to see Borrowdale – he strolled about their <sic> with Ela & me while the carriage took Mlle Amélina & the others home from Rosthwaite. They had been in a Char & on foot to <Matendlath?> & descended from thence to Rosthwaite – They had a very excellent Guide from Keswick, recommended by our Grocer – and enjoyed the expedition in spite of the great heat. It is so difficult to manage anything at all long in the cool of the evening – and they fancy they don’t walk so well after dinner so today they set off in the very hottest part of the day – ½ past 12 –
Charles thinks Barrow & environs very pretty – and he wants to be continually out of doors – I take him as much as I can manage – and the rest of the time he saunters by himself or takes a book & sits on a bench, and sometimes stays with his Sisters – if it should be fine tomorrow, (at this moment, 8 o’clock Tuesday the sky is overcast with thundery looking clouds) Mlle. A & I propose to go to, in a char to Buttermere via Borrowdale & return by Newlands – we mean to take Ela & Charles with us. – The driver says it requires but 1 or 2 hours, though we ^mayput as much more time to it as we like. – I see the rain is beginning to fall perhaps it may be all the fresher for it tomorrow – Charles was as happy on coming home for his holidays as ever you could have been – He embraced us all most tenderly: & has certainly gained in gentilesse <sic> & affection by being away from us at school – I think him altogether improved and I can discover nothing learnt of a wrong kind –
Wednesday morning – It has rained all night & the weather is cooler this morning, but much too dull & cloudy for our expedition to Buttermere – We must therefore postpone it –
Charles sends you his love & is very glad to hear you are coming home soon
Your affectionate
Constance.
If you see Charlie Edgecumbe at Paris please to say I thank him for his two letters & will write soon, if I hear of his staying on at Paris
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