574	THE  STORY OF MY LIFE	[1859
To my mother (before seeing Italima).
" Wliitburn Hall, Sept. 13. Nothing can exceed Lady-Williamson's kindness about Italima. Though she can ill afford it, she at once sent them <£110 for present necessities. . . . She does not think it possible they can ever return to Rome, but having to part with Fdlix and Victoire is the greatest of their immediate trials. In addition to her invalid husband and son, Lady Williamson, the good angel of the whole family, has since her father's death taken the entire charge of his old sister, Mrs. Richmond — ^6 Aunt Titchie.' Victor and I have just been paying a visit in her bedroom to this extraordinary old lady, who was rolled up in petticoats, with a little dog under a shawl by way of muff. She is passionately fond of eating, and dilated upon the goodness of the cook —' her tripe and onions are de-licious !' — 'I like a green gosling, and plenty of sage and stuffing, that's what / like.'
^u She is a complete Mrs. Malaprop. ' I was educated, my dear,' she said, ' at a cemetery for young ladies;' but this is only a specimen. She is also used to very strong language, and till she became blind, she used to hunt all over the country in top-boots and leathern breeches, like a man. When her husband died, she went up from Mrs. Yilliers' house at Grove Mill to prove his will. Adolphus Liddell met her at the station, and helped her to do it, and then took her to the ' Ship and Turtle ' and gave her real turtle — in fact, a most excellent luncheon. He afterwards saw her off at Euston. She is blind, you know, and took no notice of there being other passengers in the carriage, and greatly astonished they must have been, as he was taking leave of her, to hear the old lady say in her deliberate tones,' Capital turtle ! de-e-licious punch I Why, lor bless ye ! I 'd prove my husband's will once a week to get such a blow-out as that.'
" I thought this place hideous at first, but it improves on acquaintance, and has its availabilities, like everything