fore our dinner,
the views were beautiful. I cannot say what we did
_not_ see, but I should think that there could not
be a wood, or a meadow, or palace, or a remarkable
spot in England that was not spread out before us
on one side or the other. Claremont is going to be
sold: a Mr. Ellis has it now. It is a house that
seems never to have prospered. . . . After dinner we
walked forward to be overtaken at the coachman's
time, and before he did overtake us we were very
near Kingston. I fancy it was about half-past six
when we reached this house--a twelve hours'
business, and the horses did not appear more than
reasonably tired. I was very tired too, and very
glad to get to bed early, but am quite well
to-day. I am very snug with the front drawing-room
all to myself, and would not say 'thank you' for
any company but you. The quietness of it does me
good. I have contrived to pay my two visits,
though the weather made me a great while about it,
and left me only a few minutes to sit with
Charlotte Craven.[247] She looks very well, and
her hair is done up with an elegance to do credit
to any education. Her manners are as unaffected
and pleasing as ever. She had heard from her
mother to-day. Mrs. Craven spends another
fortnight at Chilton. I saw nobody but Charlotte,
which pleased me best. I was shewn upstairs into a
drawing-room, where she came to me, and the
appearance of the room, so totally unschool-like,
amused me very much; it was full of all the modern
elegancies.

Monday [May 24, 1813].

I am very much obliged to you for writing to me.
You must have hated it after a worrying morning.

* * * * *

I went the day before to Layton's,[248] as I
proposed, and got my mother's gown--seven yards at
6_s._ 6_d._ I then walked into No. 10,[249] which
is all dirt and confusion, but in a very promising
way, and after being present at the opening of a
new account, to my great amusement, Henry and I
went to the exhibition in Spring Gardens. It is
not th