226 Life of Count Rum ford* 



Indeed, so different from what I had thought were his looks, 

 that I could hardly fancy him the person I sought after, would 

 willingly have run from him, and ended in a violent fit of cry- 

 ing, which he did not consider as a compliment, asking me 

 afterwards what I meant by it. To secure love to my father 

 was the playfulness of his character (at times), witness his 

 laughter, quite from the heart, nothing made up about it ; the 

 expression of his mouth, ornamented with the most finished 

 pearls, was sweetness itself. But to see him accidentally, he 

 did not strike one as handsome, or very agreeable, though not 

 exactly to the contrary. At the time I met him, having been 

 ill, he was very thin and pale, again a reason of my disappoint- 

 ment. My opinion of him was naturally romantic, perhaps, as 

 young people's often are. I had heard him spoken of as an 

 officer. I had attached to this an idea of the warrior, with the 

 martial look, possibly the sword, if not the gun, by his side. 

 His profile being in black, made me suppose him dark in com- 

 plexion, possibly sunburnt ; in short, in stature, size, and looks 

 the perfect warrior. Yet my mother often spoke of him as 

 carroty, his hair being red ; but later not so, a very pretty 

 color. ' My father pretended I looked better than he expected 

 to find me. It is true he had had a most unfavorable like- 

 ness of me in a small miniature. 



" Though it was a trying scene to meet, yet it was nothing to 

 finding out each other's disposition in the end, and my father 

 btfgan with being much alarmed about me. He himself resided 

 in a large hotel in Pall Mall, but could not have me with him, 

 putting me to board not far off, at a Mrs. Lackington's. He 

 had brought his valet, Aichner, with him, and for me a maid, by 

 the name of Anymeetle, both Germans. I was to be presented 

 to Lord and Lady Palmerston, Sir Charles Blagden, Sir William 

 Pepperell and family (Americans), and other of his friends. 

 My dress, it was thought, required looking into, and I was sent 

 with my maid for purchases. Cloaks being fashionable, mate- 

 rials were bought for one. It being to be trimmed with lace, 

 I returned to my father with some of the most elegant London 

 afforded, we having by chance gone to a very dear, fashionable 



