time, shall be yours.
I have heard nothing more of my brother, and am ignorant where he
is or how engaged at present. You judged rightly with respect to
the impossibility of longer keeping my mother in ignorance of his
absence from England. The result was pretty much what I had
apprehended; but her feelings have now become somewhat calmer on
the subject. We are careful, however, as much as possible, to avoid
all mention of or reference to my brother in her presence, for she
is in a very cruel state of anxiety about him.

I am endeavoring as much as possible to follow my studies with some
regularity. I have forsworn paying and receiving morning visits; so
that, when no rehearsal interferes, I get my practicing, my
singing, and my reading in tolerable peace.

I have had a key of Russell Square offered me, which privilege I
shall most thankfully accept. Walking regularly is, of course,
essential, and though I rather dread the idea of solitarily turning
round and round that dreary emblem of eternity, a circular
gravel-walk, over-_gloomed_ with soot-blackened privet bushes, I am
sure I ought, and I mean to do it every day for an hour. We do not
dine till six, when I do not act, and when I do, I do not go to the
theater till that hour; so that from ten in the morning, when
breakfast is over, I get a tolerably long day. I have obtained my
father's leave to learn drawing and German, and as soon as our
house is a little more comfortably settled, I shall begin both. I
do not know whether I have the least talent for drawing, but I have
so strong a desire to possess that accomplishment that I think, by
the help of a good master and patience and hard work, I must
succeed to some decent degree. I wish to provide myself with every
possible resource against the engrossing excitement of my
profession while I remain in it, and to fill its place whenever I
leave it, or it leaves me; all my occupations are with that view
and to that end.

My father has promised me to speak to Mr. Murray about publishing
my play and my verses. I am anxious for this for several reasons,
some of which I believe I mentioned to you; and to these I have
since added a great wish to have some good prints I possess framed,
for my little room, and I should not scruple to apply part of t