Miss Araminta Perry, Hill Street, London, W., to Miss Elizabeth Perry, The Parsonage, Slocum Magna, North Devon.
Dearest Muffin,—London is a much larger place than Slocum Magna, but I don’t think it is nearly so nice. I think if I had not got Tobias with me, sometimes I might be very miserable.
First I must tell you about my new frock. It is a lilac one, and has been copied from a famous picture of Great Grandmamma Dorset by a painter named Gainsborough—I mean that Gainsborough copied Great Grandmamma Dorset, not that he made my frock. Madame Pelissier made my frock. It is not quite so nice as your mauve was, but it is much admired by nearly everybody in London. When I walk out in it people often turn round to look at it.
I think the people here are sometimes rather rude, but Lord Cheriton says I am not to mind, as people are like that in London. Lord Cheriton is a sweet. Aunt Caroline says he is much older than he looks, but Miss Burden doesn’t think so. Aunt Caroline must be right, because she is always right in everything, but Miss Burden is just a sweet. She comes to my room every night to see if I am miserable. She is very good to Tobias. Aunt Caroline says she is too romantic. She had a love affair when she was younger. Lord Cheriton says I must be careful that I don’t have one, as they are so bad for the complexion. He says he knows as a fact that all the men in London are untrustworthy. He says oldish men, particularly if they have been married twice, are very dangerous. As Dearest Papa is not here to advise me, Lord Cheriton acts as he thinks Dearest Papa would like him to. He goes out with me everywhere to see that I come to no harm. Isn’t it dear of him?
Yesterday Lord Cheriton took me to the Zoölogical Gardens to see the elephants. It was Aunt Caroline’s suggestion. She thought we should find so many things in common. I think we did; at least I know we had one thing in common. We are both very fond of cream buns. I had four, and one of the elephants had five. But Lord Cheriton says the elephants are so big you can’t call them greedy. We also saw the bears. They each had a cream bun apiece. Lord Cheriton says each of them would have eaten another, but he thought it hardly right to encourage them.
Lord Cheriton is a very high-principled man. He says I am to be very careful of a perfectly charming old gentleman who calls most days to see Aunt Caroline. I call him Gobo because he gobbles like a turkey, and he calls me Goose because I am rather a silly. He is a Duke really. Lord Cheriton doesn’t seem to trust him. He says it is because of his past life. I heard Lord Cheriton tell Aunt Caroline that she ought not to encourage the old reprobate with me in the house. It is rather dreadful that he should be like that, because he is such a dear, although his face is so red and he gobbles like anything. He—Gobo—is going to give me a riding horse so that I can ride in Rotten Row, as it is so good for the health. He rides in Rotten Row every morning. He says my horse will be quite as nice as Squire Lascelles’ pedigree hunter was. I don’t think Lord Cheriton approves of it. He seems to doubt whether Dearest Papa would like me to be seen much in public with a man who has no principles.
I have spoken to Miss Burden about it. But she agrees with Lord Cheriton in everything, because she considers he is the only perfect man she has ever met. Miss Burden says his ideals are so lofty. Aunt Caroline doesn’t think so much of Lord Cheriton. She says that all men and most women are vain, selfish, worldly, and self-seeking. I wish Aunt Caroline could meet Dearest Papa. And you too, Muffin dearest. But I do think Aunt Caroline is mistaken about Lord Cheriton. I know that he pays great attention to his appearance, but I am perfectly sure he is a Sweet. If he were not, why should he take so much trouble over my lilac frock and my new hat, which I don’t think I like because it makes people stare so; and why should he be so careful that I should come to no harm, and always try to act just as he thinks Dearest Papa would like him to? I am sure Aunt Caroline must be mistaken. It must be because people in London are always cynical. At least that is what Lord Cheriton says. He says there is something in the atmosphere of London that turns the milk of human kindness sour. Isn’t it dreadful? I am so glad we haven’t that kind of atmosphere at Slocum Magna, Muffin dearest.
Lord Cheriton is marvelously clever. Some of the words he uses are longer than Dearest Papa’s. He says I am a Throwback. He won’t tell me what it means. He says it is a dictionary word, yet I can’t find it in Aunt Caroline’s dictionary. Aunt Caroline says I am too inquisitive. Please ask Dearest Papa. He will certainly know.
Lord Cheriton is very good at poetry. He says it is because he went to the same school as Lord Byron. He has written what he calls an Ode to a Lilac Frock. It begins like this:—
Youth is so fair that the Morning’s smile,