1815-1816] A Visit to Harriet Surtees 85 



and her fear of giving him false hopes by so doing. But I 

 daresay you will have a much fuller account of these 

 things from herself as I believe she writes to Jessie by this 

 conveyance. We all parted for our different homes on 

 Thursday last. Mrs Darwin asked Charlotte to remain 

 behind, and as I thought she would like it, and the little 

 variety she sees here would make it desirable in point of 

 improvement to her, I consented, so she is now taking 

 lessons of Miss Sharpe in singing and other lessons, draw- 

 ing and dancing, and a high favourite she is with everybody. 

 She begins now to talk very agreeably in company. All I 

 am afraid is her present peace and repose being injured by 

 finding out that she is admired. There is at present such 

 an incomparable repose in her appearance, that it would be 

 a thousand pities it should be disturbed. 



Harry's last letter 1 was dated November 10th tell him, 

 and I am very glad to find by it that his hard studies do 

 not seem to have abated his spirits, and as to his whiskers, 

 I beg he will not be uneasy about them, as he has found 

 out that he may use burnt cork. I had rather hear that 

 his head was upright on his shoulders than that his whiskers 

 were a yard long. 



But to return to my journey. I took the Oxford mail 

 from Bath to Cirencester, and got to North Cerney to 

 dinner. I was received very civilly by Mr Surtees; as to 

 Harriet her spirits seem to me so quelled that there was no 

 great expression of pleasure, though I firmly believe she 

 was as glad to see me as she could be. But I never saw 

 anything so different as her manner is to that of my other 

 sisters. She speaks so low and so slow, that she gives me 

 quite the impression of a person labouring under some 

 immediate calamity, and yet I don't think these are her 

 feelings, and we had some very comfortable conversation 

 together. You all are the grand subjects that interest her, 

 and I think letters seem to be the only comfort of her life, 

 for the seeing her friends has so much alloy with it, that I 



1 Harry Wedgwood was studying at Geneva, boarding with a 

 family. 



