166 



on Thursday, to accompany us in our ramble. Should, 

 however, other engagements detain you, pray send me 

 a candid confession. 



Accept the expression of my sincere regard for your 

 Excellency. 



HELENS. 



CXIX. 



THE DUCHESS HELENE OF ORLEANS TO HUMBOLDT. 



(Winter, 1845.) 



I missed at Trianon the satisfaction of bidding your 

 Excellency farewell, and reiterating my thanks for 

 your noble work. Allow me now, in sending a 

 few lines to my beloved cousine* to take the oppor- 

 tunity of doing so, and to express once more my heart- 

 felt wish of being able, ere long, to welcome your 

 Excellency again on French soil. 



With sincerest regard and esteem, 



Your Excellency's well-wisher, 



HELENE. 



cxx. 



HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. 



Potsdam, Kind April, 1846. 



The permission to read in your presence has grati- 

 fied me extremely ; and although I must ascribe much 

 of your warm and kindly praise to a goodness of heart 

 which delights in giving pleasure to an aged friend, 

 there yet remains enough to give me great satisfaction 



* The Princess of Prussia (mother of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm) of the 

 House of Saxe- Weimar. TR. 



