Life of Count Riunford. 567 



wished you, but am now exceedingly glad you did not come, as 

 it would have made you unhappy and perhaps done me no good. 

 I was made quite ill at last, but now, thank Heaven, I an* 

 recovering my health and spirits fast. I am like one risen from 

 the dead. Adieu, my dear child. You will hear from me 

 soon again, and I hope to see you soon. I have some pretty 

 rooms prepared for you. 1 had one of the Aichners to come 

 and wait upon you, but she did not exactly please me, and I 

 sent her back again. My old servants, her father and mother, 

 are nicely established, owing to mine and the Elector's kind- 

 ness, at Munich, and are very happy." 



" AUTEUIL, 12 th NOV., 1809. 



" MY DEAR DAUGHTER, Here is another month past, and 

 you do not come. I know all the difficulties of travelling 

 either by sea or by land, so do not blame you ; am only sorry. 

 Sorry on several accounts, on one account, that I want to see 

 you. For do you recollect, my dear, that it is many years 

 since we saw each other ? We will not say how many, lest 

 the time should seem longer. And little did I think, when you 

 quitted me at Brompton, it wouid have been for such a length 

 of time, nor would it have been but for this unfortunate mar- 

 riage. Never were there two more distinct beings than this 

 woman (for I cannot call her a lady) before and after mar- 

 riage. But undoubtedly she was pushed on by those looking 

 forward to her fortune, fearing some of it would light on me. 

 She is the most avaricious woman I ever saw, and the most 

 cunning, things which I could not possibly know before 

 marriage. 



" I suffered more for the last fourteen months, indeed, the 

 whole three years and a half that I lived with her, than I had 

 an idea I could have gone through. Luckily I have money 

 enough of my own, but war and these terrible times prevent me 

 from receiving money from Bavaria, or my half-pay from Eng- 

 land. Yet I am obliged to keep up a certain consequence, 

 besides being disgusted with everything. I am afraid you will 

 have to quit the world if you stay with me." 



