Buckingham.
On arriving at Alger, Leighton wrote:—
Hotel d'Europe, Alger,
May 9, 1895.
Dear Wells,—I got your first kind letter three days ago at Tlencen, and this morning, on passing through this place, your very interesting account of the Banquet. I know you will not resent a very brief acknowledgment; I have one day here only, and a large pile of letters, with a good many of which I must deal, however laconically, at once. I need not assure you that your most kind words, like so many manifestations of friendship that I have received, touch me to the quick and will not be forgotten. That my dear old friend Millais could carry away his audience by his earnest and intense personality, I was quite certain. I rejoice in my heart at his success, apart from what I feel about his affectionate and warm expressions. It is worth while to break down, to be treated with such infinite kindness as I have met with everywhere amongst my colleagues and friends. I know you will like to hear that I am at last very decidedly better; in another month—for I don't mean to come home sooner—I really expect to be externally quite patched up—of course, the warning and the constant threat will remain by me, but I shall try to be careful, and hope yet for long to be the devoted servant of my brother members in the Academy. Meanwhile, believe me, always sincerely yours,
Fred Leighton.
P.S.—I trust you have not suffered in your throat, which is a frequent anxiety to you from the necessity of much speaking. I know how trying that is.
Hotel d'Europe, Alger,
May 21, 1895.
Dear Lina,—In an hour or two I leave for Europe, and in three weeks I shall be home again in comfortable Kensington.
I am grieved that you should have been worried—as well you might—by that idiotic report that I should not return to society or my profession (I wonder who invented it!), but you were fortunately soon relieved; I think I told you about the trouble Reuter and Hardy took in the matter. By-the-bye, you were right in supposing that the "long walk" was also a figment of the correspondents.
I am very glad to hear that you and Gussy are both at all events a little better at last. My bulletin is chequered, but certain things are satisfactory; in the first place, I see that fine weather and sun and pure air and the rest of it have nothing whatever to do with my condition; this, as I can't choose my climate, is distinctly reassuring; also, the fact of my having been much better shows that I may hope distinctly for much improvement: in the other, a certain relapse which is now upon me shows how needful caution is, only it is disappointing to have had to go back to capsules. I have had in the main a most enjoyable time; have been very fortunate in the weather, inasmuch as the heat has not yet been intolerable, and I have done some work which will be useful perhaps and certainly delightful as a reminiscence and suggestion. A variety of untoward things, one on the top of the other, no doubt quite account for my, I hope not durable, relapse, and I have no doubt when I write again I shall be able to report fresh improvement. The odd thing is, the bad effects last so curiously. I understand hot railway journeys, bad food, &c. &c., telling on me, but I have been now two whole days and a bit in Algiers in utter idleness, and a great deal on my back, and yet this morning I got an attack lying in bed! but don't let this disturb you—for several weeks I was much better and required no capsules at all. This short little note will reach you, I suppose, on Friday morning; a line on that day or on Saturday or Sunday, just to say that it has reached you would catch me at the Hotel Continental, Rue Castiglione, Paris. Please tell me, on the altogether improbable chance of my "looking in" on the Channel Islands, what the best hotels are—I must be comfortable. Best love to Gussy.—From your affectionate old brother,