I cannot tell you with what pleasure I recognized your handwriting and found that you had not forgotten us. It is very gratifying to be remembered by distant friends. On our part I can assure you that we often think of you, and I would have answered your kind letter by return of post, had I been able to send you the desired information at once. At present I have not obtained it, but begin my letter, in the hope of being enabled to make the necessary inquiries very soon. There is no Convent in our immediate neighbourhood (South Kensington) but there is one at Kensington,[1] about a mile and a quarter from here, one or two at Chelsea,[2] about the samep2 distance, and a perfect nest of Convents at Bayswater[3] and Notting Hill[4] at about twice that distance further West. Then there is the Convent of Notre Dame, at Battersea[5] of which Mr. Buckler was the Architect. You may perhaps know the Mother House[6] at Namur. I think Battersea is about three miles from here. I will do what I can in making inquiries, and send you the result, but I fear it must be in English, for although I can translate easily, I speak French but very imperfectly, and write it still worse. You will be amused to hear the reason of this deficiency. My sisters[7] and I were brought up at home by Papa and Mamma, and on the completion of their studies they were sent to a French school in Paris for a year, for the sake of gaining proficiency in the language. Dear Papa thought it not safe for me to go, lestp3 I should become a Catholic, although in those days I am not aware that I gave any signs of the blessing that was in store for me. At that time one of my sisters[8] was on the very threshold of the Church, but nothing ever came of it, she has become "evangelical"[9] instead, and I am still the only Catholic of my own family. I have the Faith, and they the French language. At this moment the French would be more useful to you.

But I have such good news! I want every one to rejoice with us. There is joy with the Angels in Heaven, for another soul is safely sheltered in the one True Fold. My sister-in-law (the widow of my eldest Brother) was received into the Church last Monday by Fr Christie. I think she will be an excellent Catholic, for she seems to enjoy and appreciate our religion thoroughly. She is the same for whom I asked your prayers, and as she bids me give her warmestp4thanks to all those, who by their good prayers have helped her into the Church, I must give you your share. When we were last in Bruges,[10] I left her inconsolable and full of desolation at the death of my Brother, and these three days past she is so full of happiness that she can scarcely realize it at present. She is here on a visit to us in order to settle her spiritual affairs quietly. She will receive her First Communion on Maundy Thursday.[11] What a beautiful time for coming into the Church! And now her Crosses will come more thickly than ever, we converts have a good share of suffering but "beati qui durant";[12] we must think of that, when discouraged. I have not told her what is likely to be in store for her, lest she should lose courage; she will find it out quite soon enough, and then it is not the destiny of all converts to make the same sacrifices. If we could only have our Crossesp5so covered with Heartsease as yours, and the Sacred Heart in the midst, they would not chafe our shoulders so much as they often do.

Thank you very much for the charming little Card which I admire much. It is now in my "Golden Manual" marking the Litany of the Blessed Sacrament, which is I think one of your favourite Litanies. I have never heard whether the intention you asked me to pray for has been gained yet. We put it into the Confraternity of the Precious Blood, and I scarcely ever leave the Lady Chapel or Chapel of the Sacred Heart without remembering it. Dear Father will you help me again with your prayers for the conversion of one of my Brothers? I am determined he shall come into the Church if any prayers I can obtain for that object will bring him. He is so good, so kind, so gentle, and so clever. But he is a High Church p6clergyman; fortunately unmarried at present. I have been told that he was almost ready to come, when the definition of the Infallibility of the Pope[13] kept him back; let us hope it may be only for a time, it shows that he was not ready, although he thought he was.

Last year we were disappointed of our usual continental trip which was a great disappointment after having made all our arrangements for leaving home, I hope we may be more fortunate this summer. With the exception of a few days of very severe weather from time to time this has been so mild a winter that I have got through it much better than usual, and have not missed one single Mass of obligation, which is a great confort. All the Autumn was a time of suffering; it is wonderful what influence the mind has over the p7body. Mr. Buckler is very well and busily engaged in making his design for a new Catholic church in the country which will soon be begun.[14] He says do you not think it would be a good plan to write to the Sisters of Notre Dame at Namur? they would be able to tell you the arrangements of their Convent at Battersea. We spent a very happy day at the Convent at Namur[15] two or three years ago.

March 20th How strangely joy & sorrow are mingled! In the midst of our rejoicing comes a very unexpected grief. This morning's post brought me a letter written in an unknown hand, announcing the distressing intelligence of the death of a very dear old friend, after a few days illness! Dear, kind Lady Fellows! What a sudden termination to our ancient friendship. She wrote to me so lately saying that she was looking forward with great pleasure to another visit from us, and I had already directedp8an envelope ready for my answer to her letter. It is a sad, sad loss to us, and I cannot bear to think that she was not a Catholic. she was so well disposed that we hoped she might come in time, but now all is over.

I have been making the inquiries you wished for, but cannot procure much information. There seem to be few Convents in which Ladies are received as boarders. The pension at the Convent at Kensington is £ 200 a year. +[16] I do not quite understand in what capacity the Lady you mention wishes to enter. If she intends to be a Nun would not the choice of a Convent depend upon her vocation? You ask me if there are any Religious Orders in our neighbourhood where Belgian novices would be admitted. The Sisters of Notre Dame have also a Convent at Clapham, also in the diocese of Southwark.[17] The others you will perceive are in the diocese of Westminster.