Lady Hornby is gone.

Most horrible deadly cold ― & deeper snow. Then, at breakfast ― letters from Col. H. & Jamie, that “Aunt Maria” had died on Xmas day! ―― ―― A strange feeling ― & not to be reconciled with reality. ― Dear kind good wise Lady Hornby! ―― There are no words whereby one can write her worth or my loss.

I could not work ― & went up to town: & saw Col. Hornby. ― In Stratford Pl. ― & then to Tor Villa. Visit to Hn. Hunt ― not satisfactory: ― he would work ― & rightly ― but as there was ― (as there always is) ― someone in the room ― I could not talk. And the portrait he is about is absolutely shocking ― & I think he feels this & is all the more dogged thereat. ―― So I came away, δυστυχῆς.1 ― Hard work after 2 long snow walks.

Cab from Stratford Pl. to Waterloo Station, & to Oatlands by 6.30. Dined upstairs: & wrote to several.

Col. H. tells me also that Mrs. Ellis Ashton is dead ―― but I cannot yet think this.

Ἀρκοῦν τὰ κακιὰ.2

XXX12

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]

  1. Unhappy (NB). [↩]
  2. Enough with the bad [things] (NB). [↩]