MY DEAREST CASSANDRA,--Our journey yesterday went off exceedingly well;
nothing occurred to alarm or delay us. We found the roads in excellent
order, had very good horses all the way, and reached Devizes with ease
by four o'clock. I suppose John has told you in what manner we were
divided when we left Andover, and no alteration was afterwards made. At
Devizes we had comfortable rooms and a good dinner, to which we sat down
about five; amongst other things we had asparagus and a lobster, which
made me wish for you, and some cheesecakes, on which the children made
so delightful a supper as to endear the town of Devizes to them for a
long time.
Well, here we are at Bath; we got here about one o'clock, and have been
arrived just long enough to go over the house, fix on our rooms, and be
very well pleased with the whole of it. Poor Elizabeth has had a dismal
ride of it from Devizes, for it has rained almost all the way, and our
first view of Bath has been just as gloomy as it was last November
twelvemonth.
I have got so many things to say, so many things equally important, that
I know not on which to decide at present, and shall therefore go and eat
with the children.
We stopped in Paragon as we came along, but as it was too wet and dirty
for us to get out, we could only see Frank, who told us that his master
was very indifferent, but had had a better night last night than usual.
In Paragon we met Mrs. Foley and Mrs. Dowdeswell with her yellow shawl
airing out, and at the bottom of Kingsdown Hill we met a gentleman in a
buggy, who, on minute examination, turned out to be Dr. Hall--and Dr.
Hall in such very deep mourning that either his mother, his wife, or
himself must be dead. These are all of our acquaintance who have yet met
our eyes.
I have some hopes of being plagued about my trunk; I had more a few
hours ago, for it was too heavy to go by the coach which brought Thomas
and Rebecca from Devizes; there was reason to suppose that it might be
too heavy likewise for any other coach, and for a long time we could
hear of no wagon to convey it. At last, however, we unluckily discovered
that one was just on the point of setting out for this place, but at any
rate the trunk cannot be here till to-morrow; so far we are safe, and
who knows what may not happen to procure a further delay?