46 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, in 



Mme de Stael loses some considerable property in the 

 Italian funds; she says that peace is her death-warrant, 

 but she is reconciled that it should be for the sake of Europe. 

 She will, I imagine, find it difficult to live in London even 

 tho' her income did not diminish. M. found her in tears 

 on Tuesday on account of her pecuniary losses. Have you 

 heard that old Edgeworth is enraged with the reception 

 that Mme de Stael receives, and says it renders valueless 

 what the " pure Maria Edgeworth " received ? If Mme de 

 Stael hears this she will not, as she intended, go to Edge- 

 worthstown in her tour through Ireland; and that she will 

 hear it, there is no doubt, as she has very ready ears. . . . 



Emma Allen to her sister Mrs Josiah Wedgwood. 



DEAREST BESSY, DULWICH, Febry. loth [1814]. 



In spite of my most earnest entreaty that you would 

 spare your eyes and time and not spend them, most precious 

 as they are, in my service, here is the gown 1 arrived and 

 such a beauty. I thought I should never cease to admire 

 it. You have so far surpassed Fanny's in taste and ele- 

 gance that I may avoid wearing it the same time, in mercy 

 to hers, for she agrees with me in admiring it far beyond 

 her own, and hers is a taste you do not despise. What 

 pains it must have cost you ! I had no idea you could have 

 made it so beautiful. However they have not been spent 

 only in making me smart, for I feel there is something 

 delightful in possessing the work of a loved hand . 



Fanny had one delightful day at George Street. Sharp 

 and Wishaw dined there and Mme de Stael, and Miss Berry 2 

 came in the evening. Madame talked of herself and ker 

 works in the most open way and the whole party declared 



1 Readers of one sex may care to know that it was black, with 

 some appliqu6 work in green leaves. 



2 Mary Berry (1763 1852) and her sister Agnes (a year younger) 

 were the two clever and attractive young ladies who so bewitched 

 Horace Walpole in his old age. He was about fifty years their senior. 

 He called them his twin wives, offered to marry Mary, settled them 

 at Little Strawberry Hill in order to have them always near, and left 

 them the house with 4,000 apiece. 



