240 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xvi 



any fear. I am making my preparations, and heaven 

 grant us a happy meeting. If you expect I can write 

 sense to-day you are very much mistaken, my own dear 

 Bessy, I can do no such thing for thinking of your sweet 

 sweet face and your dear dear voice, and a thousand other 

 things which all finish in a prayer for our happy meeting. 

 I told John I should write no more to anyone, for I can 

 write no more than a fool when the prospect of seeing 

 them is close before my nose ; so I might as well have 

 spared your purse to-day, but your letter gave me an 

 ecstacy so you must take its consequences. 



We have had, after a dropping summer, the most 

 beautiful autumn I ever remember to have seen. I do not 

 exaggerate when I say I never stirred out without an 

 ecstacy. The warm golden colours at home, the gilded 

 snow and blue in the distance, gave such a view that every 

 walk became a prayer. But Harriet in Italy has not had 

 this weather. She had little sun even at Venice. We have 

 besides had that phenomenal light after sunset which no 

 one has explained, and which has been so bright in Italy 

 as to give superstitious awe and fear to the people. Here 

 it has only been very lovely, very transparent, very deep 

 red, or orange that has remained long after the moon was 

 up, and almost tamed its brightness. In the west was the 

 golden light the other evening, and in the east the silver as 

 we returned home between 6 and 7. 



We had two and twenty carriages in our little courtyard 

 last night and more [guests] than I could reckon in our salon, 

 in which were [people] of all nations, but of Englishmen only 

 two, JOB'S friend Mr Chetwynd and his friend Mr Lamb, 

 whom we saw act the other night very well and in a very 

 pretty, indeed more than pretty, theatre. Mr Chetwynd was 

 Henry IVth superbly dressed. We had several Polonais 

 last night. We had some perfectly delicious singing from 

 the Prince Belgiojoso how I wished for Elizabeth and 

 Charlotte ! He wanted so much some ladies or men to 

 sing beside himself to keep him in countenance. He will 

 never come now the same evening with the Countees 



