Life of Count Rumford. 525 



4th of this month. It appears that he was not married then, 

 but that he expected to be soon. He writes on this subject 

 with such confidence to all his friends, that I can scarcely ven- 

 ture to call in question any longer the favorable issue of his 

 suit. Yet, from my knowledge of the lady in question, her 

 sentiments and ideas, I shall not cease to entertain some doubts 

 till the event actually takes place. With respect to you he 

 writes to me thus : c I have no very late news of my Daughter, 

 but report says that she is about to take a husband. Her for- 

 tune, or, rather, inheritance^ is settled. She will have 6,000 

 livres a year in the French funds, with the capital, in addition to 

 her pension of 2,000 Florins a year from Bavaria.' Probably he 

 will acquaint you with this himself; if not, I beg you neither to 

 let him nor any person know that I have communicated it to 

 you. I am very much dissatisfied with his conduct toward me 

 in certain points, since he has been in France, and for that 

 reason have not written to him since last December. It is at 

 present my intention to drop his correspondence entirely, and 

 perhaps this is the last letter that you will receive from me for 

 a considerable time." 



Reference is made in the letter to the death of Lord 

 Palmerston, and the illness of Lady Palmerston, of 

 whom Blagden writes : 



"A letter from you, I am sure, would give her pleasure. 

 She retains the same regard for your father as formerly. Hav- 

 ing thus answered your questions, allow me to add that your 

 account of yourself gives me pain. That you are a tolerable 

 adept at the different games of which you are extravagantly 

 fond ; that you could play at billiards and whist forever, are 

 confessions which I hope you do not make to your father, and 

 particularly not to your lover. If the latter be really a man of 

 sense, and were to judge that such is unalterably your character, 

 he would avoid you as the most dangerous person with whom 

 he could form a connection. But no doubt he believes, as I 

 do, that your dissipation is not natural, and that if your affec- 

 tions were once properly fixed, if you were fulfilling the duties 



