Friday Oct.
My dear Henry
I hope you won’t forget to bring with you the Sept. & Oct. Numbers of Nickleby <1> – Horatia <2>& I are anxious for the dénouement of the Story which we expect to find therein. – I suppose you are very busy! Since you do not find time to write. –
Do you not feel proud of your brilliant success, & flattered by the communication which Lady Elisabeth <3> makes to you today! – Our children <4> are quite well & wishing for you to come back. Rosamond made believe this morning, to go to London in search of you, & she brought word back that ‘Papa was coming directly’!
Ela continues to like her spelling board, which gives me great hopes of her learning to read some day or other. –
Matilda is resuming her fidgettyness & wakefulness, but appears quite well, so I conclude there is, after all, something restless in her Nature. – I am quite grieved to hear that Bennett’s <5> distressed Sister <6>has again troubled her about the Sovereign, & written an urgent letter for it to be sent by today’s post (if found). Of course poor Bennett is not likely to find it ; but she is so determined to assist her Sister that she wants to send give another Sovereign instead of the lost one – I have advised her not to trust it to the post, & I wish you therefore to send Nichole <7> as soon as you can, to 42 Dean Street Soho with directions to give a Sovereign in Bennett’s name to Mrs Sheilds. Nichole will be repaid by Bennett on his return to Lacock –
Yr. Affte
Constance
H. F Talbot Esqr.
Notes:
1. Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. His third novel, it was intitially published as a serial in 1838-1839.
2. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
3. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
4. Ela Theresa Talbot (25 Apr 1835 - 25 Apr 1893), WHFT's 1st daughter; Rosamond Constance Talbot (16 Mar 1837 - 7 May 1906), 'Rose'; 'Monie'; artist & WHFT's 2nd daughter; died & buried at San Remo, Italy, with a memorial at Lacock; Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, née Talbot (25 Feb 1839-1927), 'Tilly', WHFT's 3rd daughter.
5. Nurse and governess.
6. Mrs Shields.
7. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.