end, do you not see
that it might really vex dearest Mr. Kenyon? Observe, we have no more
right of intruding than you would have if you forced your way upstairs.
It's a wretched world, where we can't express an honest affection
honestly without half appearing indelicate to ourselves; nothing proves
more how the dirt of the world is up to our chins, and I think I had my
headache yesterday really and absolutely from simple disgust.

You see, Robert might go to stay till Mr. Edward Kenyon arrives--if it
were only till then. I still hope and pray that our dearest friend may
rally, to recover at least a tolerable degree of health. He has certain
good symptoms; and some of the bad ones, such as the wandering, &c., are
constitutional with him under the least fever. You may suppose what
painful anxiety we are in about him. Oh, he has been always so good to
me--so true, sympathising, and generous a friend!

I shall always have a peculiar feeling to that dear kind Miss Bayley for
what she has been to him these latter months.

Now I can't write any more just now. Leighton has been cut up
unmercifully by the critics, but bears on, Robert says, not without
courage. That you should say 'his picture looked well' was comfort in
the general gloom, though even you don't give anything yet that can be
called an opinion. Mrs. Sartoris will be much vexed by it all, I am
sure.

May God bless you! Write to me. Robert's love with that of

Your ever affectionate
BA.

Did you observe a portrait of Robert by Page? Where have they hung it,
and how does it strike you?

* * * * *

_To Miss E.F. Haworth_

[Paris]: 3 Rue du Colisee:
Saturday, June 17, 1856 [postmark].

My dearest Fanny,--I was just going to write to you to beg you to apply
to Chapman for Robert's book, when he came to stop me with the
newspaper. Thank you, my dearest Fanny, for having thought of me when
you had so much weary thought; it was very touching to me that you
should. And I am vexed to have missed two days before I told you
this--the first by an accident, and the second (to-day) by its being a
blank post-day; but you will know by your heart how deeply I have felt
and feel for you. May God bless you and love you! If I were as He to
comfort, you should be strong and calm at this moment. But what are we
to one another in this world? How weak, how far, we all feel in moments
like these.

Still, I should like to know that you had som