Life of Count Rumford. 591 



Higginsons, who were your father's friends as well as 

 yours, and, I have no doubt, are people of good char- 

 acter." He emphatically enforces upon her the counsel 

 that she should not delay a moment in proceeding to 

 join her father in France. 



Sir Charles writes again, October i, 1811, thus: 



" Your letter of the 2Qth arrived this day, and I write im- 

 mediately, lest you should be set off, as you expect that Mr. 

 Langdon has procured your passport. I think you had better 

 have stayed at your father's house than have gone to board with 

 Mrs. Eddy, or any one else. But this must partly be deter- 

 mined by your own feelings. You did right not to go to the 

 play with Mrs. Langdon alone. By all means put yourself 

 under the care and protection of Sir James Joy for your voyage 

 to France. You have done well in taking care of your father's 

 things at Brompton. It will be something to tell him when 

 you arrive in France. The house was let to people who, I 

 fear, did not treat it well. Sir Joseph Banks told me that 

 Lady Banks would receive you kindly whenever you should 

 come to England. Your father consulted Dr. Blane formerly 

 as a physician, chiefly, I believe, by the recommendation of Lady 

 Palmerston, and he was well satisfied with the Doctor. Take 

 care how or with whom you go to the play. It is very possi- 

 ble that much of the happiness of your future life may depend 

 on the prudence of your conduct here, before you go to France. 

 Though your father be parted from his wife, yet I advise you 

 to seek her friendship as far as you can do it without offending 

 him. I have often talked with her about you. As far as I can 

 recollect, there is nothing of mine at the house in Brompton 

 Row but a large trunk of books in the strong room where the 

 chief part of the Count's things are kept," &c., &c. 



There is certainly more of the guardian than of the 

 lover in the next letter of Sir Charles to the Countess, 

 dated at Cheltenham, October 7, 1811, as follows: 



