78 'OLD q' 



lordship's liaisons upon his own authority. To this 

 course I still purpose to adhere; for a reason will 

 be duly set forth. However, there is an incident I 

 am bound to mention briefly, as it may have been 

 regarded as aggravating circumstances in preventing 

 Lord March's marriage with Miss Pelham when all 

 opposition or other reasons had been removed, and 

 may be accordingly judged. About 1757 or 1758, 



an Italian lady, a Countess L , wife, it is said, 



of a Count of the Holy Roman Empire, appeared 

 in London. The Count had deserted his wife in a 

 fit of jealousy while visiting Paris. The deserted 

 Countess was befriended by a wealthy French official, 

 who settled an annuity on her. Further it would 

 be unwise to follow her career in the gay city ; she is 

 next found following an English nobleman who had 

 once been enamoured of her to London. But her 

 arrival here was a little tardy, as her English ad- 

 mirer, to her great chagrin and dilemma, had just 

 married. 



Soon after her advent. Lord March met the 

 Countess at the ridotto in the Haymarket. To beg 

 an introduction at the hands of a common ac- 

 quaintance was the work of a few moments for the 

 captivated March, who found favour with the Countess 

 by asking her to walk a minuet with him. This 



