ough in a place to take root, or, having done so,
never to be transplanted. I am writing a journal, and its pages,
like our many pleasant hours of conversation, are a whimsical
medley of the sad, the sober, the gay, the good, the bad, and the
ridiculous; not at all the sort of serious, solemn journal you
would write.

CRAVEN HILL, BAYSWATER, ----, 1827.
MY DEAREST H----:

I am afraid you are wondering once more whether I have the gout in
my hands; but so many circumstances have latterly arisen to occupy
my time and attention that I have had but little leisure for
letter-writing. You are now once more comfortably re-established in
your little turret chamber [Miss S----'s room in her home,
Ardgillan Castle], which I intend to come and storm some day,
looking over your pleasant lawn to the beautiful sea and hills. I
ought to envy you, and yet, when I look round my own little
snuggery, which is filled with roses and the books I love, and
where not a ray of sun penetrates, though it is high noon and
burning hot, I only envy you your own company, which I think would
be a most agreeable addition to the pleasantness of my little room.
I am sadly afraid, however, that I shall soon be called upon to
leave it, for though our plans are still so unsettled as to make it
quite impossible to say what will be our destination, it is, I
think, almost certain that we shall leave this place.

We have had Mrs. Henry Siddons, with her youngest daughter, staying
with us for a short time; she is now going on through Paris to
Switzerland, on account of my cousin's delicate health, which
renders Scotland an unsafe residence for her. John is also at home
just now, which, as you may easily believe, is an invaluable gain
to me; I rather think, however, that my mother is not of that
opinion, for he talks and thinks of nothing but politics, and she
has a great dread of my becoming imbued with his mania; a needless
fear, I think, however, for though I am willing and glad to listen
to his opinions and the arguments of his favorite authors, I am
never likely to study them myself, and my interest in the whole
subject will cease with his departure for Cambridge.

Henry returned from Bury St. Edmunds, and my father left us for
Lancaster las