146 A Century of Family Letters CHAPIX. 



by me to the end, and whom I love to a degree that makes 

 me often forget all I have lost. Who is there in life that has 

 not to weigh the good and evil? and it often happens to me 

 that the evil kicks the beam. I have only to keep my 

 thoughts from the past and the future, the present is calm, 

 comfortable, happy, and frequently from animal spirits 

 joyous. I do not pretend that Sis is the most agreeable 

 man that lives, but to me he is a choice companion. I have 

 more thoughts and feelings in common with him than I have 

 even with the sisters I have most lived with ; and then such 

 tenderness, such indulgence as I had never imagined or 

 hoped for, and a firmness to resist me when I am a fool, for 

 which I love him all the better, though he thwarts me; but 

 there are times I like being thwarted. As for the material 

 of life, I have never at any period felt so completely easy. 

 I have no wish ungratified, I have my pockets generally full, 

 and a year's income in advance. I do not exaggerate when 

 I say all this happiness that I have been displaying to you 

 is gone when you are ailing. 



We luckily came into the town the day before the first 

 snow, and find ourselves very comfortable. We have not 

 yet gone out much, but in the fortnight that we have been 

 already housed, we have had three of our reading soirees 

 which have been very agreeable, and I have given one little 

 talking one, which went off with great success. 



I find here I am very apt to make friendships with bad 

 women, by some means or other I have great attraction for 

 them. There is a Russian here, daughter to one of the 

 Russian ministers, a Prince Lapaukyne, that has taken a 

 great fancy to me, and has deputed me sometimes to 

 chaperon her daughter, a fair clever girl who they say is 

 really a daughter of the Emperor Alexander, and whom her 

 reputed father will they say make one of the greatest heir- 

 esses in Europe. Her mother is very handsome and very 

 elegant and modest in her manner. She is also very clever, 

 and as agreeable company as a person can be, whose char- 

 acter does not keep pace with her other attractions. I am 

 not myself sure she is out of the course, but she is out of 



