write up all my other letters; but to-day, being the 2nd of September, and your own particular birthday, I think it due to myself to begin writing to you again, because without your birthday I never should have had you; and if I had not had you, I never should have been parted from you; and if I were not parted from you, I should not have had that constant craving to write to you.
I left off on Tuesday, the 22nd of August, when we had our French play in the evening. We dined early, and drove after dinner, and then dressed for the play. I never saw a prettier theatre than we had, with scenes, and a place for the orchestra, and a dressing-room on each side, and beautifully lighted up, because one of the great lustres of the ball-room happened to hang right in the middle of the stage. We had L’Affaire d’Honneur and Vatel, which last was acted quite as well as I ever saw it in Paris or London. Nothing could go off better, and it is the first attempt we have made at amusing others which has amused us. I take it more than half the audience did not understand French, but those that did, laughed a little more in consequence, to show their supe-
