"Wednesday night
Dearest, you are a prophet, I suppose—there can be no
denying it. This night, an edict has gone out, and George is tomorrow to be on
his way to take a house for a month either at Dover, Reigate, Tunbridge, .. Papa
did 'not mind which,' he said, & 'you may settle it among you' .. but he
'must have this house empty for a month in order to its cleaning'—we are to go
therefore & not delay–
Now!—what can be done? It is possible that the
absence may be longer than for a month, indeed it is probable—for there is much
to do in painting & repairing, here in Wimpole Street, more than a month’s
work they say. Decide, after thinking– I am embarrassed to the utmost degree, as
to the best path to take. If we are taken away on monday .. what then?
Of course I decline to give any opinion & express
any preference,—as to places, I mean. It is not for my sake, that we go:—if
I had been considered at all, indeed, we should have been taken away
earlier, .. & not certainly now, when the cold season is at hand– And so
much the better it is for me, that I have not, obviously, been thought of.
Therefore decide! It seems quite too soon & too
sudden for us to set out on our Italian adventure now—& perhaps even we
could not compass
Well—but you must think for both of us– It is past
twelve & I have just a moment to seal this & entrust it to Henrietta for
the morning’s post.
More than ever beloved, I am your own Ba
I will do as you wish—understand."
And so comes the moment. She leaves the decision to Browning, as well she should. Has she not at all times stated that he is free to back out at any time. This is the test. Will he back out?
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