181&-1814] Kitty a " Mrs Worry" 31 



Kitty however placed herself at her writing, and would 

 give me no satisfactory answer, but bid me not disturb her 

 every now and then when I questioned her what she had 

 done. At four, she sent John to ask what time the coach 

 went over the bridge, and he found the Dulwich coach just 

 gone, and the last coach would not go till 10, which was 

 too late. Then she had many schemes afloat about our 

 going in the Sydenham coach, or in fact going into any 

 coach we could find that would take us near the park; for 

 she was resolved I should go down somehow. Sometimes 

 she would in the intervals of her writing propose that she, 

 Jessie, and I should walk down, then with a "Don't disturb 

 me now, child," she went on with her letter till 6. When 

 that was finished and dispatched, all her schemes for me 

 ended by her sending for a hackney-coach, into which we 

 four sisters got and little Fanny, and went altogether to 

 Dulwich, drank tea with Baugh, where I and little Fan 

 remained, and the rest departed. The evening was beauti- 

 ful and the country in high perfection, and we all enjoyed 

 the drive in our old hack, and Kitty was so agreeable and 

 in such high spirits that I quite forgave her for being such 

 a Mrs Worry till 6. It gave me however rather a distaste 

 for George Street, so that I feel no desire to return to it, 

 and am perfectly satisfied with my lodgings and enjoy the 

 quiet and regularity of them. If I had had an idea I 

 could have made myself as comfortable in them as I now 

 find I am, I should like to have settled here in time for 

 you to have witnessed it; for I am convinced we shall not 

 ourselves derive more satisfaction from the conviction of 

 our own comfort than you will, so tender an interest have 

 you taken about us, and so largely have you contributed 

 to our happiness and comforts in various ways. I felt at 

 one time so unreasonably acutely the loss of John [Allen] 'a 

 society in his marriage, that I thought I would not for any 

 reward repass the period of it ; now however I feel I would, 

 if it was to be followed by so much kindness and affection 

 as we found in Staffordshire. The feeling of that remains 

 a lasting satisfaction. . . . 



