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Down

Beckenham

Mar 11 1882

My dear George

I forget whether I told you in my last letter that F. had been unwell & finding that walking often brought on (in a slight degree) the pain he had the last time he was in London —

It came on oftener & he was very poorly & languid, so we had Dr Clark yesterday (Alas he wd not take a fee, after a letter of entreaty on my part).

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He says now that the heart is the seat of the mischief & that he fully believes & hopes that with care to avoid every exertion that brings on the pain it will be either quite overcome or kept in abeyance — especially at the present time he wishes for every caution, so as to break the habit of pain coming on — It is most mistaken generosity on his part not to take a fee, as we cd not endure to send for him again for a slight cause —

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He is very languid & uncomf. I feel pulled down if he had been quite ill — tho' he eats & sleeps well. Dr C. is still in favour of F. going to London when he is a little better & then we shd have no scruple in calling for his help — Claude is still in bed, tho' I believe the pleurisy has quite subsided, & he is quite comf & feeling perfectly well; but they are not yet satisfied about his lungs. This anxiety has thrown Effie & Ida so m. in sympathy that

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everything else seems dispersed & Ida has been staying on & Horace of & on at Cam.

Hen. has been almost constantly here looking after Laura whose recovery is steady & not very slow — Hen. went to see Mrs M'L. for the first time. She was m. agitated at first but soon talked w. interest. The Litches had taken Ella to Tannhauser, wh. put her in a perfect rapture, not in the style of the glum little Kempsons — It does not bother F. the least having Laura here, indeed he like to go into the drawing room

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& have a little talk with her.

Dr Clark enquired affectly after you & much approved of your going to Jamaica. Mr Wright of Keston likes coming over for tennis & he plays well — Fr went out w H. Lubbock's harriers the other day on Leo's horse, who is by no means a safe jumper & swerves violently just at the time. Poor old Leo finds his Math so rusty now he has begun cramming for the Staff Coll. that he is discouraged.

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He has excellent lodgings at 49 a week in St. James' Place, so he is a grand gentleman — (no 12) — yours my dear — I expect a letter from you soon — E. Darwin

On looking at yr paper I will keep this letter for the chance of one tomorrow the 12th