Page:Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Ingram, 5th ed.).djvu/162

146 and magnanaimity of her latest hero. She endeavoured to convert her friends to her views, and, declares Miss Mitford, in April of this year, says that "everybody in Paris" is coming round to an opinion similar to that she holds of the Prince President.

Some time in the summer of 1852 the Brownings returned to England, and stray notices of their appearance in London are in existence. Crabb Robinson records in his Diary, under date of October 6th, that he met them at dinner at Kenyon's. He remarks that Mrs. Browning, whom he had never seen before, was not the invalid he had expected. He describes her as having "a handsome oval face, a fine eye, and altogether a pleasing person." He suggests that "she had no opportunity of display, and, apparently, no desire, whilst her husband," he deems, "has a very amiable expression. There is a singular sweetness about him."

The Brownings were not able to prolong their stay in England into the autumn, on account of the delicate health of the poetess. The sudden setting in of cold weather brought on a recurrence of her trying cough, and compelled her to fly from her native land. In company with her husband she spent a week or two in Paris, and then they left for Italy, leaving a promise to revisit England in the summer. Mrs. Browning was greatly exercised in her mind as to whether the publication of her recent work on Casa Guidi Windows might not incite the Florentine authorities to exclude her from the city, and thus keep her out of her home, and away from her household gods. There is no evidence, however, to hand to show that she had any difficulty in re-entering either the city or her residence; indeed, as Miss Mitford remarked, there was not so