hurch Tower, and other Poems.'

[22] In a letter to Miss Mitford, written four days later than this,
Mrs. Browning alludes again to the performance of 'Colombe's Birthday:'
'Yes--Robert's play succeeded, but there could be no "run" for a play of
that kind; it was a _succes d'estime_ and something more, which is
surprising, perhaps, considering the miserable acting of the men. Miss
Faucit was alone in doing us justice.'

[23] A few lines have been cut off the letter at this place.

[24] A letter to the _Athenaeum_ on July 2, 1853, giving the result of
some experiments in table-turning, the tendency of which was to show
that the motion of the table was due to unconscious muscular action on
the part of the persons touching the table.

[25] Senatore Villari.

[26] Mr. George Barrett. The omitted passage describes an act of
generosity by him to one of his younger brothers.

[27] Hardly a successful horoscope of the future Ambassador at Paris and
Viceroy of India.

[28] Afterwards wife of Signor Carlo Botta, an Italian man of letters,
with whom she returned to America and lived in New York.

[29] This refers to the death of the infant child of the Storys, with
whom Mr. and Mrs. Browning were on intimate terms of friendship, as the
previous letters show.

[30] According to Mr. R.B. Browning, this is practically what has
happened with Page's portrait of Robert Browning (now in Venice). The
surface has become thick and waxy, and the portrait has almost
disappeared.

[31] Author of 'IX. Poems, by V.' (1840).

[32] This portrait is now in the possession of Mr. R.B. Browning at
Venice.

[33] _I.e._ 'grandfather,' a name by which Mr. Browning, senior, is
frequently referred to in these letters.

[34] 'Hush, hush!'

[35] For the subsequent fate of this picture, see note on p. 148, above.
[Transcriber's note: Reference is to Footnote [30].]

[36] To Mr. Barrett.

[37] This letter is written in very faint ink.

[38] The news of Inkerman had come only a few days before.

[39] Mrs. Browning's 'Song for the Ragged Schools of London' (_Poetical
Works_, iv. 270) and her husband's 'The Twins' were printed together as
a small pamphlet for sale at Miss Arabella Barrett's bazaar. Mrs.
Browning's poem had been written before they left Rome.

[40] The horrors of the Crimean winter were now becoming known, which
fully accounts for this outburst.

[41] The death of Mrs. Jameson's husband in 1854 had left her in very
strai