1837-1838] Jos and Caroline Engaged 279 



bury for a few days. It will be so very nice to see them 

 while it is so fresh. They pressed me so warmly to go that 

 I do not believe they feel the least uneasiness about being 

 with Mamma. 



Jos is in an agony of impatience, and said to me yester- 

 day: "I have sent another hurrying letter to Frank, but 

 whether he comes or not, I shall go and leave the Works 

 to themselves, for I cannot bear to stay any longer." He 

 had your letter in his hand, and said something half finished 

 with great feeling, about not having said half enough in his 

 letter to you, I understood. I asked to see your letter, 

 which he showed me, tearing off the beginning; which 

 makes me long to see what he wrote to you, as I guess what 

 it was. It is delightful to see how much attached he is to 

 her. Whenever I have talked to him alone he has burst 

 out, in a way as if he could not contain himself, about her 

 exquisite charm. What did she say to him ? I shall die 

 if I never know. I tried to make him tell me, but he was 

 too cute for that. I long to talk it over with dear Charlotte. 

 If I have the goodness in me I shall return home on Thurs- 

 day, but as I can hear every day by the coach now the 

 railroad is open, I might possibly stay three nights. Tell 

 me if you think I had the least better not, as two days will 

 quite satisfy me. I shall so enjoy seeing them. I think 

 dear Caroline will be pleased with some things I can tell 

 her. 



The Sismondis were now at Pescia, making the long stay 

 in Italy spoken of in the last chapter. Harriet Surtees and 

 Emma Allen were with them. 



Emma Allen to her niece Elizabeth Wedgwood. 



VALCHIUSA [PESCIA], July 1 [1837]. 



. . . Jessie's great deafness prevents conversation being 

 half so agreeable and gay with her as it used to be; but 

 tho' she is not merry as she used to be, it is a great point 

 that she is not melancholy. She is calm and sweet as ever, 



