Wednesday 17th December 1834

No entry today.

[up at] 9 5/..

[to bed at] 11 20/..

no kiss fine morning – highish wind – Fahrenheit 44°9 55/.. at which hour breakfast – Had Washington about Grieves’s business – the 2 securities (sureties) he offers not very good – would have the distress prolonged – but Adney could make nothing of him before my going in to them – I said I would, in her place, have nothing to do with the sureties – either have all signed over to me, or have a sale – Adney wrote to this effect to Mr. Parker by Washington – she and I sat talking till near 12 – then walked with her on her way to Cliff hill as far as the Hipperholme turnpike – on returning, went in to my father – 1/2 hour talking to him when Marian came back from Halifax – then told her I had been speaking about the future quantity of pasturage and could get no satisfactory answer and was just beginning on the subject of herself – then came out that she is not yet engaged but expects Mr. Abbott at 6 p.m. tomorrow when all will probably be settled – she has not yet told him of what I said as to my own conduct on the occasion, or that she had no expectation from me – that I was bound by promise to my uncle how to leave the property   said I should be uneasy till she had told him this – she said, he had not said much about my going to the navigation meeting but that he had thought it right to come up and speak to me as I had called on his mother, but he had observed my manner –  – It seems, he cannot leave Halifax during the life of his mother and sister but on their death may go and live in Scotland where has very intimate friends – Marian thinks he will never say much about me; for evidently he would rather not hear her speak of me at all – I said I was really sorry for him – more sorry for him than for her; for her mind was accustomed to the subject; and he would feel it more than she would – she said, she liked him, which I told her I was glad to hear – she means to propose his clearing Skelfler a few days before the marriage, and settling this estate and all the rest that my father has upon her and their children, he having a life estate in it, but, if they have no children then the estate to be at Marian’s own disposal – this would be £800 a year and she did not wish for more – ‘very well’ said I, ‘then he gives £10,000 for the connection!’– ‘yes!’ said she innocently, and I made no further observation – off to Halifax about 2 – down the old bank to Mr. Parker’s office – not at home – 1/2 hour at Whitleys then back to Mr. Parker’s – wish the Staups estate to be paid for on the 8th instead of 7th of January my rent day being on the 7th – the bills for letting to be out soon, and the letting to take place on Friday the 16th January – Grieves and his sureties never appeared this morning so he is to be sold up tomorrow – Captain Sutherland’s last letter to Mr. Parker particularly kind and friendly 

home (up the old bank) at 4 1/4  – Adney not returned from Cliff hill – set off for her – met her at the bottom of the garden – in spite of the rain walked up and down the gravel walk telling her all about Marian etc. – then changed our dress – both of us rather wet – Adney with my aunt and I talking to my father and Marian – dinner at 6 5/.. – Lost a backgammon and won two hits – then with my father and Marian and had Cordingley in and long talk about George having tea with the other servants in an evening – 1/2 hour with my aunt till 10 5/.. – then wrote all but the 1st 5 1/2 lines of today – fine till about noon – then small rain and heavier about 2 for the rest of the afternoon – rainy evening – Fahrenheit 43° at 10 40/.. p.m. – my aunt had note from Mr. Musgrave at 2 with regards and proposing to come at 1 p.m. on Friday to administer the sacrament – I answered it – Mrs. Lister much obliged and would be glad to see him – met him in the town, and told him this – Mr. Wortley still in the town – in spite of dinner parties, attending his committee every night from 8 to 10 –  – 

Courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/17/0125