t on for
her a bit, so add her to the cold ride and the hot lunch in the list of
causes of this crazy epistle--I mean, the causes of its craziness.

Do you know old South? I don't believe you do even this much of him:--

"Old South, a witty Churchman reckoned,
Was preaching once to Charles the Second:
When lo! the King began to nod,
Deaf to the zealous man of God;
Who, leaning o'er his pulpit, cried
To Lauderdale by Charles's side:--
'My Lord, why, 'tis a shameful thing!
You snore so loud, you'll wake the King!'"

I quote by memory, through my luncheon, and I dare say all wrong; but it
doesn't matter, for I don't believe you know it a bit better than I
remember it. I and my baby came here on Monday, and shall stay until
to-morrow week; after that I go to Liverpool, to meet and be met; and
after that I know nothing, of course.... If, however, by that time you
are likely to be near London, we will come up thither forthwith, and you
must come and stay in Park Place with us. We shall be alone keeping
house there; for my mother is in the country, and my father and Adelaide
are going to Carlsbad, where we think to join them by-and-by; in the
mean time, we hope to enjoy ourselves much sight-seeing all over London,
which we shall then have entirely to ourselves; and you had better come
and help us.

Good-bye, dearest H----.

Yours ever,
F. A. B.

[This letter was written from Bannisters, the charming country home
of my dear friend, Miss Fitz Hugh. For years it had been a resort of
rest for Mrs. Siddons, who was always made welcome as one of her own
sisters, by Mrs. Fitz Hugh; and for years it was a resort of rest
for me, to whom my friend was as devoted as her mother had been to
my aunt.]

LIVERPOOL, Saturday, August 17th, 1837.
MY DEAREST HARRIET,

I have but one instant in which to write. I hope this will meet you at
Emily's, in Orchard Street [No. 18 Orchard Street, Portman Square, Mr.
Fitz Hugh's town house]; it is to entreat you to remain there until I
come to town, which must be in less than a week....

I left Bannisters--most unnecessarily, as it has proved--a fortnight
ago, which time I have been spending in heart-eating suspense, waiting
in vain, and bolstering up my patience, which kept sinking every day
more and more, lik