My first impulse was to rush to England, but this has been over-ruled by everybody, and I believe wisely.  With my usual luck I should just have increased the sum of evil instead of bringing a single advantage to anyone.  The best thing I can do for the others, is to keep quiet and try not to give cause for trouble on my account, to be patient and live on God’s daily bread from day to day.  I had a crumb or two the day before yesterday through Storm, who thought there might be a little less pain—­and here you have sent me almost a slice—­may God be thanked!  How good you were to mention the doctor!  It is grievous to me to think of her suffering.  Darling!

I knew how strong your sympathy and personal feeling would be, and, even on that account, I had not the heart and courage to write to you.  But no, dearest friends, I did not receive the letter you speak of, though I heard of your grief a good while afterwards.  And so sorry I was—­we both were—­so sorry for Fanny, so sorry for you!  May God bless you all!  How the spiritual world gets thronged to us with familiar faces, till at last, perhaps, the world here will seem the vague and strange world, even while we remain.

Still, it is beautiful out of this window; and of public affairs in Italy, I am stirred to think with the most vivid interest through all.  The rapture is not as in the northern war last year, because (you don’t understand that in England) last year we fought the Austrian and now it is Italian against Italian,[90] which tempers every triumph with a certain melancholy.  Also the Italian question in the south was decided in the north, and remained only a question of time, abbreviated (many think rashly) by our hero Garibaldi.  For the crisis, so quickened, involves very serious dangers and most solemn thoughts.  The southern difficulty may be considered solved—­so we think—­but just now that very solution opens out, as we all fear a new Austrian invasion in the north, backed indirectly at least by Prussia and Germany, who will use the opportunity in carrying out the coalition against France.  There seems no doubt of the mischief hatched at Toeplitz.  I wish I had known that England’s influence was not used in drawing together those two powers.  Prussia deserves to be—­what shall I say?—­docked of her Rhenish provinces?  It would be a too slight punishment.  She caused the Villafranca halt (according to her official confession by the mouth of Baron Schleinitz, last spring), and now this second time, would she interrupt the liberation of Italy?  The aspect of affairs looks very grave.  As to England, England wishes well to this country at this present time, but she will make no sacrifices (not even of her hatreds, least of all, perhaps, of her blind hatreds), for the sake of ten Italys.  Tell dear Mr. Martin that after the speech for the Defences, I gave up Lord Palmerston for ever.  He plays double.  He is too shrewd to believe in the probability of