I go to Lady Stornaway after Easter; she seems in high
spirits, and very happy. I fancy Lord S. is very good-humoured and
pleasant in his own family, and I do not think him so very ill-looking
as I did--at least, one sees many worse. He will not do by the side of
your cousin Edmund. Of the last-mentioned hero, what shall I say? If
I avoided his name entirely, it would look suspicious. I will say,
then, that we have seen him two or three times, and that my friends
here are very much struck with his gentlemanlike appearance. Mrs.
Fraser (no bad judge) declares she knows but three men in town who have
so good a person, height, and air; and I must confess, when he dined
here the other day, there were none to compare with him, and we were a
party of sixteen. Luckily there is no distinction of dress nowadays to
tell tales, but--but--but Yours affectionately."

"I had almost forgot (it was Edmund's fault: he gets into my head more
than does me good) one very material thing I had to say from Henry and
myself--I mean about our taking you back into Northamptonshire. My
dear little creature, do not stay at Portsmouth to lose your pretty
looks. Those vile sea-breezes are the ruin of beauty and health. My
poor aunt always felt affected if within ten miles of the sea, which
the Admiral of course never believed, but I know it was so. I am at
your service and Henry's, at an hour's notice. I should like the
scheme, and we would make a little circuit, and shew you Everingham in
our way, and perhaps you would not mind passing through London, and
seeing the inside of St. George's, Hanover Square. Only keep your
cousin Edmund from me at such a time: I should not like to be tempted.
What a long letter! one word more. Henry, I find, has some idea of
going into Norfolk again upon some business that you approve; but
this cannot possibly be permitted before the middle of next week; that
is, he cannot anyhow be spared till after the 14th, for we have a
party that evening. The value of a man like Henry, on such an
occasion, is what you can have no conception of; so you must take it
upon my word to be inestimable. He will see the Rushworths, which own
I am not sorry for--having a little curiosity, and so I think has
he--though he will not acknowledge it."