Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - The Leith Hill hotel is a 'very ideal caravansary' and must bring Robert and Elizabeth good company; glad Sidney Colvin admired Paul; is very keen to see him again. Met Jan [Hubrecht] in the street in London and 'mistook him for Hilton Young... no ill compliment'. Jan said it happened to him 'constantly' at Cambridge. Is halfway through his proofs [of the last volume of "The American Revolution"]; glad they will be alone until it is finished. Staying with them have been: Welby; Tom Brassey and his wife; 'the beautiful Lady Carew'; Lady Reay; Bernard and Mrs Mallet; Alfred Lyall. Is halfway through "Dombey" [Charles Dickens's "Dombey and Son"] and is reading other things such as Beugnot's "Memoirs", placed first in interest by Ferdinand de Rothschild 'the great authority on French memoirs'; Beugnot knew '"at home" the Diamond Necklace gang'.
8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Glad to hear Bessie's 'gloomy journey' [back to the Netherlands] was not too uncomfortable; Robert returned 'looking rather disconsolate' and she has not seen him since; fears he will be rather lonely, with the 'nine [Muses]' not making up to him for the 'one' being absent. Good that he has a poem in today's "Speaker". Very glad Bessie enjoyed her time in England; a shame about the weather, but the 'great thing' is to have found that they all like each other. Sir George was sorry when she left: a compliment as he is 'fussed by most people staying in the house'; he cold is now gone. Bessie had better not send the money for the bill until she gets Forsyth's account; encloses bills already paid. Spent yesterday with [her sister] Annie and Miss Wicksteed at Tunbridge Wells; is going for a walk at Kew Gardens today. Lady Reay called to see Bessie on Wednesday and was very sorry to miss her; she greatly admires Professor [Ambrosius] Hubrecht. Sorry to hear Bessie's aunt is slow to recover.
Re memorial to Lord Byron.
End missing.