. . .” And so I am now to suppose that, at the receipt of this, you are actually at St Etienne. And how, poor creature! have you borne the fatigue of so many wearisome leagues? To you the immense journey from Paris to the department de la Loire must be like the circumnavigation of the globe. But I hope that some of the good family of the Grand Magasin des Armes met you at least at Lyons. And now you are seated in the midst of them, and are happy, endeavouring to compare present things with the recollection of twenty-five years past. Does not all this make you utterly forget the fusty old fellow in Skinner Street, in his black morning coat, shivering over the half-extinguished embers of a June fire. How can he stand the comparison with the beautiful Sophia, the all-amiable Charlotte, and the animated Perico? . . .
“Mary has just been spending a few days here: Shelley brought her up, and left her with us. On Friday last (the day before she returned to Marlow) we went together to Lamb’s in the evening, and had the pleasure to find Miss Lamb, who had returned home the Saturday before.
“You will, I believe, be pleased to hear that Jane is taking to new habits: she wears stays, and dresses herself every day becomingly and with care: this at the entreaty of Shelley and Mary.”
