“Dear Charlotte,—I wish all good for you and yours from 1853, which figures I now first combine.
“I arrived here on Saturday night, having left William at Hôtel des Bains for a few days of hot bath. He will, I believe, go right from thence to Milton without pausing here. He was very kind indeed about the Paris trip, and his calmness made him very useful. Amid the very many troubles that perplexed me out of life while there, we at last contrived to see the young man and his attendant off in the train for Lyons, at nine on Thursday night—he having, as usual, deferred to the very last moment what might far better have come off two or three days sooner. But the wonder is, that such a pair ever did get off at all!! Such confusion—all blunder about everything!
“He is certainly better in health, and to the last spoke of his views and purposes in a satisfactory way enough—but, alas! the weakness of character is so obvious that hope can find but slender footing! Let us try. We can do no more.
“I have seen no one here but Joanna
A——
| WALTER’S DEATH | 359 |
“I envy the hearing of Miss M. M——’s prattle and rattle.
“Give my respects and wishes of the season to old Peter and the rest, and with love to Hope I rest—Yours ever,
