Tuesday July 19.
At a quarter to ten, Bummy & I were down at Mrs. Barkers, close to Mrs. Cliffe’s carriage. Eliza & Henrietta & Arabel followed us in the wheelbarrow—& we got to the chapel just in time. Mrs. Boyd took me into her pew. As soon as ever I saw the preacher,[1] I thought he was not eloquent,—as soon as ever I heard him, I was sure of it. A most excellent sermon; but not the sermon of “the first preacher in England,” according to Mr. Boyd. I should have been much pleased, if I had not expected to be very much pleased: as it was, I was pleased.
When it was all over, I began to meditate the subject I was meditating, before it began—“how am I to manage a visit to Ruby Cottage?” Mrs. Cliffe & Eliza were going to pay visits at Great Malvern—& Bummy H & A to see the library. Therefore I could have no carriage. Mrs. Boyd was going to walk home with Mr. Spowers. Therefore I decided in walking with her. There was a little remonstrance on the side of my party—about the possibility of my being tired; but nothing vehement. I walked & was tired—what with the walk & what with the wind. Mrs. Boyd placed me on the sofa, & would have bolstered & pillowed me if I had been passive. She is a good natured woman. After five or ten minutes, I began meo more to fidget, & wonder why Mr. Boyd did not send for me. After a quarter of an hour or half an hour, I could have cried—in thinking that I had exposed myself to all this fatigue willingly, & that he seemed to have no will or wish to fatigue himself by talking to me until the carriage came. I could have cried!— At last Mrs. Boyd who was reading the newspaper close to me, (just as if I had gone there to see her read it), observed “Are you not going to Mr. Boyd?” “Why he is not ready: is he?” “Yes to be sure he is! & waiting for you.” And so he was. A mistake had kept me down stairs, & him in an expectation for half an hour or more. How provoked I was. He did not shake hands with me when I went first into his room. Forgot it, I suppose!!-- He put his hat before his face, & talked—first of Henrietta, whom he did not know was with me yesterday until “a third voice” said “Good morning Mr. Boyd”. He understood that Arabel & I had left her on the Wyche: and as to her offering to shake hands with him, he was ignorant of that until Mr. Spowers told him of it. Then he talked of my note — yesterday’s note. “I had said too much—it was not necessary for me to say so much about the book—but of course he felt gratified & obliged by the sentiments I expressed.” ‘Gratified & obliged!’--Well!---
We talked about the book,which he advised me to have half bound in russia—not in vellum. It shall … be russia. Even the binding shall remind me of the giver.
δεχομαι ριλον γε δωρον εκ ριλης χερος[2]
That line from the Alcestis, wd. be a good motto for the first page: but no—I wont have it there. After a little talking of Mr. James & my dissappointment about his eloquence & my satisfaction about his scriptural knowledge, Eliza Cliffe came in & announced the carriages!— Obliged to go. Was not with him a quarter of an hour,—& tired to death for it. Oh so tired. Got home,—but could scarcely get thro’ dinner—& then to oblige Bummy, off to Mrs. Martin’s. There I sate in the armchair more dead than alive,—certainly more disagreable than agreable—until tea-time. The tea was a collation for the cricketers & sinecure visitors; & it was hardly over, before I fainted fairly away. They dragged me out of the room, & packed me up on the sofa. I got better soon, & sate quietly till Miss Petyon went home; & she had the mercy to take me away with her & leave me at Hope End. To bed of course—but Lady Macbeth’s dreams were nothing to mine.
There was a letter from Papa today.[3] Henrietta was later than I, in coming from Malvern,—& it fell into my hands first. They were trembling ones. But they need not have trembled. Not one word on the subject. Dearest Papa is well, & in apparent good spirits. Thank God thank God for this best news!---
1. The Rev. John Angell James.
2. “I take them—precious gift from precious hand” (LCL–E, IV, 436–437, line 376).
3. Addressed to Henrietta (see BC, 2, 372).
