646 Life of Count Rumford. 



your father's conduct towards you. [Probably in dictating that 

 the Countess should return to America.] This seems to me a 

 happy disposition, which it will depend upon your good conduct 

 to improve." 



Dating from Paris, October 24, 1817, Sir Charles 

 writes : 



" This will be brought to England by Monsieur Arago, a 

 distinguished gentleman of science in France, and my good 

 friend. He will be accompanied by Baron Humboldt, whom I 

 believe you have met at Madame de Rumford's or at your father's. 

 These gentlemen mean to stay in London about three weeks, 

 and if you determine to come hither, it will be an excellent 

 opportunity for you to make the journey with them. M. Arago 

 has kindly promised me to give you notice when they set out on 

 their return, which will probably be about the 2Oth of Novem- 

 ber. He will let you know a few days before where you can 

 communicate with him, and I trust that you will be exact in 

 making your arrangements to travel with him and the Baron, in 

 case you finally resolve to come. When I consider Madame 

 de Rumford's way of life, it does not seem to me likely that she 

 will find it convenient to be of much use to you, so that your 

 coming hither or remaining in England should be determined 

 chiefly by other considerations." 



The Countess could not avail herself of the privilege 

 of having such fellow-travellers, because of the annoy- 

 ance which her house at Brompton was giving her. 

 She afterwards wrote to Sir Charles that it was her 

 intention to be in Paris on Christmas, 1818. But as 

 she did not arrive, Sir Charles, in a letter to her of 

 that date, writes : " I delivered your message to Ma- 

 dame* de Rumford. She seemed glad to hear that you 

 thought of coming ; but expressed a strange fancy, 

 that your object is to take care of me, in case I should 

 be sick. I have no reason to think I shall be sick, and 



