410. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 296.
[Hope End]
April 29th 1831.
My dearest friend,
I have just sealed & sent away a letter to you, when the arrival of your welcome one makes me begin another. It is pleasant to my feelings to know what until now I rather doubted about, that my assurances yesterday satisfied you. You will forgive the supererogatory assurance of this morning—and yet it seems to myself a thing almost unnatural & absurd, that I [1] should find it necessary to make any assurances upon such a subject, to you.
Arabel says that she is “uncommonly amused” by the part of your letter which relates to her. She says besides—“The copying of the engraving most exactly & correctly, is the easiest thing possible. Indeed it is partly done”. She wonders how, after such a formal challenge, & message about punishing her presumption, you can propose her letting you off. Her own character is involved in the performance,—and she feels it to be scarcely possible to relinquish it, when she is confident herself, & has so many supporting opinions as to its feasibility. At the same time she desires me to say, that in the case of failing in any one point, in the wrong inclination of any one line, however slight & minute, she would have no more unwillingness to send you the two guineas, than, in a contrary case, to accept your fifty. She perfectly agrees with you in thinking you “wrong, for making the offer,” but how could she help “insisting” on keeping you to it?–
I will speak on Wednesday, if nothing decisive happens previously. Oh how happy I should be, if the answer were to be the one it must have been under other circumstances! It would be almost too much happiness! But happiness is one of the things, of which there is seldom too much, in this world!—— I used to think at the time when you talked of coming here, that your coming would be too pleasant to be real!—— And then, I thought right! At least, I fear I did! Well! Arabel lets you off, as (she says) she is the most generous person in the world,—& as before you arrive at this part of my letter, you must have been frightened to almost the value of the 70 guineas.
Ever affectionately yours
E B Barrett.
My best love to Mrs Boyd & Annie.
Whenever you can write, pray do—as it does give me so much pleasure & comfort to hear from you.
Address, on integral page: H. S. Boyd Esqr
Publication: Weaver, pp. 406–407.
Manuscript: Huntington Library.
1. Underscored twice.
___________________
