We have been living here rather quietly, not very though,--at least I dined in town at several great dinners, at the Lievens, etc., that fortnight the Ministers were all in London, and we went up several times to the play with the Stanleys, and several of them came and dined here, and so on during November. Then, George has been frisking about the country at Woburn, Brocket, etc., shooting; and on Saturday he and I are going to run down to Bowood for a week. It is an expensive amusement and not worth the trouble, barring that it is worth while acknowledging the kindness of the Lansdownes. He rode down here from London to ask us, but I never go on his invitations. But, however, he wrote again as soon as he got back, and then Lady Lansdowne wrote to insist on our fixing a day. So, though I know she never wishes her invitations to be accepted, yet if she will write, she must take the consequences, and so we are going. I hear the Nortons[396] are to be there, which will be funny. I do not fancy her, but still she will be amusing to meet for once. We settle in town after that, at least Fanny and I do. George is going to a great meeting of Ministers at Goodwood. I think it such a good thing, the Ministers have all taken to go shooting about in a body. It prevents their doing any other mischief. That is the way an enemy might state it. I, who am a friend, merely presume they must have brought the country to a flourishing state, since they seem to have so much leisure for amusing themselves. We have two of Robert’s boys staying with us while Mrs. Eden is recovering from her sixth lying-in. The eldest of the five younger children is just five years old. Pleasant! I send this to the Council Office as you desire, and have a vague idea that C. Greville will read it, and throw it into the fire--officially of course, I mean. Ever, dearest Theresa, your affect. E. E. _Miss Eden to Lady Campbell._ GROSVENOR STREET, _Tuesday_, [1837]. DEAREST PAM, Thank you just for giving me a push off--not that of all the days in the year I could have chosen _this_ for answering you. I am in long correspondence with Louisa (Mrs. Colvile) about that flirtation,[397] that little interesting love story I imparted to you, and, as usual, the young people are to be very miserable, because that £100 a year which has been left out of everybody’s income, when incomes were created, is not forthcoming; and as usual again, I take the grand line of “all for love and my niece well lost.” Moreover, I think a small income in these days is as good as a large one twenty years ago; and that anything is to be preferred to a disappointment. But all this--together with due attention to dignity one side and love the other, and no two people ever understanding each other--keeps me writing at the rate of twelve pages a day. I am quite tired of the manual labour, and as I feel convinced that three months hence they will be married, I grudge these _protocols_.