igo A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xiv 



Fanny Wedgwood to her mother. 



January 2 la*, Tuesday [1827]. 



. . . On Thursday the Prince of Denmark gave a grand 

 ball at the Casino (the place where the Redoutes are given), 

 to which we went. It was a very pretty sight. In the 

 middle of the ball they danced a cotillion which I should 

 think lasted upwards of an hour, which cut a great many 

 people off from dancing. The Prince danced almost all 

 evening with Mrs Lamb ton, and after we were gone people 

 say there was a scene between them, some say that he 

 threw himself at her feet, others that he gave her his feather ; 

 what did happen I don't know, but Edward [Drewe] looks 

 and talks very mysteriously about it and all Geneva is 

 very busy talking her over. I suppose she has been very 

 imprudent, but I think they judge her very harshly, for if 

 she did flirt a good deal with the Prince, he is only a boy 

 of 18, so she might think there was no great harm in it. 

 But whatever has happened people seem to cut her now, 

 for she is going to give a ball on Tuesday week, and I am 

 afraid many people will send her excuses, for several have 

 said to Aunt Jessie, " You don't mean to go of course." 

 However, Aunt Jessie means to stick by her and go to the 

 ball if we are the only people there, so she does not en- 

 courage Edward to tell anything against her. . . . 



Dear Mamma, you need not be afraid, though we are 

 very happy and comfortable here, that we shall be sorry to 

 come back to you. I love Maer much too well not to be 

 glad always when I come home. 



I am surprised to see all the old men come to the balls 

 here. I should have thought they would much rather have 

 stayed away. Sismondi looks very unhappy at them, I 

 never saw such an anxious-looking man as he is. 



