s brother to the Isle of
Wight. The weather has been very uncertain, cloudy, misty, and rainy,
with heavy air, ever since we came. Ferdinando keeps saying, 'Povera
gente, che deve vivere in questo posto,' and Penini catches it up, and
gives himself immense airs, discoursing about Florentine skies and the
glories of the Cascine to anyone who will listen. The child is well,
thank God, and in great spirits, which is my comfort. I found my dear
sister Arabel, too, well, and it is deep yet sad joy to me to look in
her precious loving eyes, which never failed me, nor could. Henrietta
will be hindered, perhaps, from coming to see me by want of means, poor
darling; and the same cause will keep me from going to Taunton. We have
a quantity of invitations to go into the country, to the Custs, to the
Martins, &c. &c., and (one which rather tempts _me_) to Knebworth, Sir
Edward Lytton having written us the kindest of possible invitations; but
none of these things are for us, I see.

Dearest friend, I do hope you won't go to Rome this winter. When you
have been to Vienna, come back, and let us have you in Paris. I am glad
Lady Elgin liked the book. The history of it was that she asked Robert
to get it for her, and he _presented_ it instead.

Our M. Milsand likes you much, he says, and I like you to hear it....

Oh, we read your graceful, spirited letter in the 'Athenaeum.' By the
way, did you see the absurd exposition of 'Maud' as an allegory? What
pure madness, instead of Maudness!

* * * * *

_To Mrs. Martin_

13 Dorset Street: Monday, [August-September 1855].

Day after day, my dearest Mrs. Martin, I have been meaning to write to
you, always in vain, and now I hear from Mrs. Ormus Biddulph that you
are not quite well. How is this? Shall I hear soon that you are better?
I want something to cheer me up a little. The bull is out of the china
shop, certainly, but the broken pottery doesn't enjoy itself much the
more for that. I have lost my Arabel (my one light in London), who has
had to go away to Eastbourne; very vexed at it, dear darling, though she
really required change of air. We, for our parts, are under promise to
follow her in a week, as it will be on our way to Paris, and not cost us
many shillings over the expenses of the direct route. But the days drag
themselves out, and there remains so much work (on proof sheets, &c.) to
be done here, that I despond of our being able to move as so