Monday June 27.
After breakfast, I was surprised in my room by Eliza running up stairs & kissing me vehemently, with an exclamation—“The advertisement is withdrawn from the Worcester paper.”[1] Is that all? Her manner had excited me into hope about something. That is nothing. Papa went down to Eastbourne on Friday or Saturday. There is no hope. I obliged her not to go back in the rain but to stay & dine with us at one. After dinner she rode out with Arabel, & promised to return to drink tea here; a promise which the weather prevented her from keeping. Storm of thunder lightening & rain. I in my usual heroics on such occasions. Lay down on Minny’s bed. Crashing thunder. Thought of Mr. Boyd who, when I told him of my boldness during thunderstorms, admitted his own ditto,—& owned even that he lies down on his bed, as I do.
At about eight Arabel returned, escorted by Mrs. C[liffe]’s servent. In the evening, writing instructions for Bro respecting my books, which he is to obey tomorrow. Very kind of him to go to Worcester on purpose. His birthday both kept & thought of!—— Mr. & Mrs. Martin came & drank tea with us. I read Pindar’s first Olympic today—& thought of tomorrow–tomorrow’s fatal decisive letter. Will it not, must it not be decisive?—
1. The first announcement, which did not mention the estate by name, appeared in only two issues of the Worcester Herald, those of 11 and 18 June 1831.
