[crest]

9 Coates Crescent Edinburgh
Nov^r 22^d 1860.

My dear Papa,

I am sure you must be expecting to hear from me, now that we have been here for a week – Mama will have told you how comfortably we got here, without my feeling a bit tired by the journey – and we have a most cheerful house, that gets all the sun, (when there is any to be had,) with a little conservatory attached to the drawing room window – so that we might have all sorts of pretty flowers at present there are only some geraniums & ferns, the property of the last occupant M^rs Spiers – who seems also to have left us her dog – for a shaggy, very fat, old pet dog belonging to her, has made up his mind to live here instead of with his mistress who has moved into the next street – so he waits outside the door till some one opens it to go in or out, and then creeps down stairs to the kitchen & lies quite quiet under the table – Everybody is so tired of sending him home, that at last they have let him take his own way.

You may suppose that we have heard people speak of nothing lately but the wonderful visit of the Empress – I myself saw a young lady yesterday, who said she had watched I don’t know how long in S^t Andrew’s Square for the chance of getting a glimpse of her – she was half ashamed to confess it, but highly delighted at having obtained at last a very good sight of her – Col^l Ewart made all the 78^th High^rs pass in front of the Hotel where she is staying, and they played "Partant pour La Syrie" – and she came on the balcony, and curtsied & smiled & looked charming – so everybody was immensely enthusiastic! They are trying very hard to find out why she really is come – and now this sudden departure for Perth has amazed everybody. – I was amused by reading about the hoax practised on the public at the South Western railway station in London – how they were made to believe the Emperor was coming, and when an individual with a large nose stepped out of the carriage, they began by cheering, and ended by being immensely disgusted on finding out that he was only a respectable private gentleman! – Somebody said that the Edinburgh Rifle volunteers should have turned out for the Empress to see them, but I am afraid this would hardly have been considered complimentary. The weather here is very bad – foggy and rainy – on Sunday we had a fall of snow; but it did not last long. –

Good bye, dear Papa, – Johnnie would have sent you some messages, only he is gone to the Club. – I wonder when you will come here? the others may, I believe be expected in a fortnight, or thereabouts.

I remain you most affec^te daughter –
Matilda –

[envelope:]
H F Talbot Esq^re
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts