HCR, 30 Russell Square, London, to Maria Denman, [no address], 20 February [1849?].  

30 Russell Squ:

20th Feb:

My dear friend

       I have been long intending to call & chat with you, but hinderd by all sorts of impediments – To day it is mainly the bad weather –

       And yet I cannot have any great pleasure in seeing you ^just now,^ because we can but reciprocate complaints, not of each other – but of – I hardly know whom individually –

       I sometimes feel as if I were blameable for all the delays And responsible for the Flaxman Committee And then I am ashamed to see you at other times I feel so strongly that you must be annoyed that I am afraid to see you –

       Then I look round And remark how we are going on or rather how we are standing still at the University Hall – And then the comparison with the F. G. is in favour of the gallery – Whether the Hall will ever be anything – at least – the thing we wanted, is doubtful But the final success of the Gallery is certain – Humanly speaking, it cannot fail – The means are already provided – It is only an affair of time

       Cockerell is really ill, Atkinson says, Both Wyon & Cooke have been kept away by all legitimate causes. Donaldson would willingly do the whole himself – But he is not to be trusted – Wyon I saw a few weeks ago – And then having intimated to him your apprehension lest the Sculptor should be forgotten by the Architect – In the reasonableness of which fear he concurred – he nevertheless did not disapprove of the arrangements he then saw.

       Atkinson this morning enlarged on the virtue of patience – he says truly that when the arrangemt is complete the work will be soon dispatched – In the meanwhile it is not your character which is at stake, but mine – Your generosity is acknowledged by all – But is my honesty? I hope there are not many who are afraid that I like Mr Knight Murray & other Treasurers may pocket all the fund And pack off to Yankee Land – I certainly shall not do that, unless you elope with me And I have not courage to make the offer – Seriously, people do ask me What keeps you back? I answer When we are to be helped by the unpaid Services of great men we must submit to postponements – And that is the main impediment after all –

       Now I have expectorated – And I hope still to call soon –

                        Most truly yours

                                     H. C. Robinson

Miss Denman

Text: Yates Papers, MS. Misc. 3R, University College University of London.