Tuesday, October 9, 1832

1832

October

Tuesday 9

6 1/2

11 40/..

Rainy morning.  Breakfast at 8 10/.. with my father in 3/4 hour – Wrote the whole of yesterday –

At 10 1/4 note , basket of grapes from Miss Walker – Lidgate, to my aunt and note to me, 3 pages of 1/2 sheet in envelope, to consult me about her tenant Collins, who has the Lidgate farm, removing to Wika and having sent his cows away without saying a word or her knowing anything about it till her cook told her this morning she had no milk – Asked what to do –

The substance of my advice was that on the man’s coming to speak to her, she should be very civil, say she was rather surprised, and that she would think about it – being cautious to avoid giving any hint of what she would or would not do – and to let him and her servants be as little able as possible to calculate from her manner what she thought of doing – Probably the man wanted to annoy her into doing something or other he could turn to his own advantage, but her perfect self command and temper would foil all chances of this sort–

Bayloon would not serve her in a case like this – Not to mind that – Collins had property and she has hold enough of him – My 1st impulse was to go over to her this afternoon, but it was not necessary, and , on 2nd thoughts, most prudent and best, determined (if I could get over tomorrow) not to go till 8 a.m. on Thursday --

Her note begins, How little did  I imagine when we parted last night that I should so soon have had the pleasure of addressing you, my dear friend.  Under other circumstances, I should not have dared to take up my pen, but the plea of soliciting your advice seems at least a tolerably fair excuse.  Then comes the subject of Collins, ending with, My kind regards to Mr and Mrs. Lister. Believe me yours very sincerely, Ann Walker –

Had Booth the mason and Murgatroyde the carpenter, and settled with them (paid in full) for George Naylor’s stable at upper place, and the work done in the library passage – i.e. flue making in the hall chimney and stove setting and new window putting in and one new light of window in my blue room –

Wrote and sent at 11 1/4 by Miss Walker’s servant returned from Halifax, my note to ‘Miss Walker Lidgate’ 4 pages of 1/2 sheet in envelope, merely writing the latter I had been very busy.  The cloak was not brushed and the man had had to wait 1/4 hour – I began with, Your note, my love, surprised me, but surprise is not the only or the uppermost feeling which engrosses me.  I leave you to imagine what I mean, for surely you already know me too well to be wrong in any surmise you may wish to make.  Then follows my advice about Collins, and conclude with, I am to thank you very much for the grapes which, with your usual good judgment, you have directed to my aunt.  I am doubly flattered, doubly obliged.  The cloak was of the greatest use to me last night.  Except among Alps and Pyrenees, I know not when I have been out in such a storm of rain and hurricane of wind, which last was so strong against me that I was literally blown off the causeway five or six times.  Forgive me if I can hardly regret even your vexation about Collins.  Remember that it is to him I owe your note and to him I owe this present unexpected pleasure of assuring you how much I am affectionately and very faithfully yours, A Lister

I wonder what she will think of this.  I told her yesterday I thought her pretty.  Proof, said she, how blind love is.  Told her how nice she looked in her evening gown for dinner on Thursday.  She said she thought I rather looked at her.  In fact, she will soon, I think, put me less and less in competition with Cliff Hill if I can only manage her tolerably the first night–

At 12 40/.. had just written so far of today – Dawdling over 1 thing or other (rain from before 1 to 2) till 2 –

Standing musing about Miss Walker, whether I can at all satisfy her or not, and how we shall get on together –

Went out at 2 with John, and with him till came in at 6 – planting a score raspberry plants and a bed of scarlet strawberries, and ivy at the foot of the embanking walls, and along the wearing near the great sycamore tree in my walk –

Did 10 pages French vocabulary – Dinner at 7 – Read the 1st 100 pages, Sketches of India in 1818, published in London in 1824 – (by Captain Skinner ) –

Went into the little room at 8 40/.. – So hot, asleep almost immediately till my father went to bed –

Came upstairs at 10 5/.. – Just before and afterwards, read over tonight’s Courier –

Rainy morning.  Cleared up about noon – then between 1 and 2 more rain.  Afterwards fair, and finish afternoon and evening. F 57° now at 10 40/.. p.m. –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/15/0130