ed the
little history with a lively sympathy and regard for her. I hope, with
you, that it is full of promise, and that you will all be happy in it.
The separation, even in the present condition of travel (and no man can
say how much the discovery of a day may advance it), is nothing. And so
God bless her and all of you, and may the rosy summer bring her all the
fulness of joy that we all wish her.

To pass from the altar to Townshend (which is a long way), let me report
him severely treated by Bully, who rules him with a paw of iron; and
complaining, moreover, of indigestion. He drives here every Sunday, but
at all other times is mostly shut up in his beautiful house, where I
occasionally go and dine with him _tete-a-tete_, and where we always
talk of you and drink to you. That is a rule with us from which we never
depart. He is "seeing a volume of poems through the press;" rather an
expensive amusement. He has not been out at night (except to this house)
save last Friday, when he went to hear me read "The Poor Traveller,"
"Mrs. Gamp," and "The Trial" from "Pickwick." He came into my room at
St. Martin's Hall, and I fortified him with weak brandy-and-water. You
will be glad to hear that the said readings are a greater _furore_ than
they ever have been, and that every night on which they now take
place--once a week--hundreds go away, unable to get in, though the hall
holds thirteen hundred people. I dine with ---- to-day, by-the-bye,
along with his agent; concerning whom I observe him to be always divided
between an unbounded confidence and a little latent suspicion. He always
tells me that he is a gem of the first water; oh yes, the best of
business men! and then says that he did not quite like his conduct
respecting that farm-tenant and those hay-ricks.

There is a general impression here, among the best-informed, that war in
Italy, to begin with, is inevitable, and will break out before April. I
know a gentleman at Genoa (Swiss by birth), deeply in with the
authorities at Turin, who is already sending children home.

In England we are quiet enough. There is a world of talk, as you know,
about Reform bills; but I don't believe there is any general strong
feeling on the subject. According to my perceptions, it is undeniable
that the public has fallen into a state of indifference about public
affairs, mainly referable, as I think, to the people who administer
them--and there I mean the people of all parties--which is