der
whether they think my father has hold of strings by the means of
which he moves my arms and legs! I am very glad something likely to
strike the public is to be given before "Inez de Castro" (a tragedy
of Miss Mitford's), for it will need all the previous success of a
fine play and part to carry us safely through that.

I have not seen Mr. Murray again; I conclude he is out of town just
now.

We have made all inquiries about poor dear A----'s trunk, and of
course, as soon as we hear of it, it will be sent to her; I am very
sorry for her, poor dear little child, but I advise her, when she
does get them, to put on each of her new dresses for an hour by
turns, and sit opposite the glass in them. Good-by, dear H----.
Your affectionate

F. K.

GREAT RUSSELL STREET, 6th January, 1831.
DEAREST H----,

I have only time to say two words to you, for I am in the midst of
preparations for our flight to Brighton, to-morrow. Thank you for
your last letter; I liked it very much, and will answer it at
length when we come back to town.

Mr. Murray has got my MSS., but I have yet heard nothing about it
from him. My fire is not in that economical invention, the
"miserable basket" [an iron frame fitting inside our common-sized
grate to limit the extravagant consumption of coal], but well
spread out in the large comfortable grate; yet I am sitting with my
door and windows all wide open; it is a lovely, bright, mild spring
day. I do not lose my time any more of a morning watching the fire
kindling, for the housemaid lights it before I get out of bed, so
my poetry and philosophy are robbed of a most interesting subject
of meditation.

With regard to what you say about A----, I do not know that I
expected her to love, though I was sure she would admire, nature;
she is very young yet, and her quick, observant mind and tendency
to wit and sarcasm make human beings more amusing, if not more
interesting, to her than inanimate objects. It is not the beauty of
nature alone, as it appeals merely to our senses, that produces
that passionate love for it which induces us to prefer communion
with it to the intercourse of our fellows. The elevated trains of
thought,