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but M. Malhouët failing, M. de Guignes, formerly ambassador in England, took his place. You remember him, my dear padre, at one of your concerts, and Do you think I could help recollecting his

ses gens. haste?

The opera was Le Nozze di Dorina, by Sarti, and extremely pretty; though I wished it had been as new to M. C de P as to myself, for then he would not have divided my attention by obligingly singing every note with every performer. In truth, I was still so far from recovered from the fatigue of my journey, that I was lulled to a drowsiness the most distressing before the end of the second act, which being but too obvious, Madame d'Henin and M. d'Arblay took me away before. I risked a downright nap by waiting for the third.

April 26.

The assembly at Madame d'Henin's was one of the most select and agreeable at which I was ever present. Assembly, however, I ought not to call a meeting within the number of twenty. But I was uneasy for my poor Alex., and therefore stole away as soon as possible; not, however, till Madame de Tessé made a party for us for the following Thursday at her house, nor till I had held a private discourse with Mademoiselle de upon my embarrassment as to Madame de Staël, from the character she held in England; which embarrassment was not much lightened by her telling me it was not held more fair in France! Yet, that everywhere the real evil is highly exaggerated by report, envy, and party-spirit, all allow. She gives, however, great assemblies at which all Paris assist, and though not solicited or esteemed

by her early friends and acquaintance, she is admired, and pitied, and received by them. I would she were gone to Copet!

Madame de Grandmaison, a very favourite friend of M. d'Arblay, came to visit me. She is a very handsome woman, and thought very clever and agreeable; but I was too much disturbed either to enjoy or judge of her conversation. What most perplexed me at this period was the following note from Madame de Staël.

From Madame de Staël to Madame d'Arblay.

je voudrois vous témoigner mon empressement, Madame, et je crains d'être indiscrette.* j'espére que vous aurez la bonté de me faire dire quand vous serez assez remise des fatigues de votre voyage pour que je puisse avoir l'honneur de vous voir sans vous importuner.

Ce 4 florial.*

NECKER STAEL DE H.

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How is it possible, when even the common civility of a card for her card is yet unreturned, that she can have brought herself thus to descend from her proud heights to solicit the renewal of an acquaintance broken so abruptly in England, and so palpably shunned in France? Is it that the regard she appeared to conceive for me in England was not only sincere but constant? If so, I must very much indeed regret a waste of kindness her character and conduct make it imposşible for me to repay, even though, on this spot, I am assured all her misfortunes are aggravated, nay cari

* Madame de Staël's orthography is here preserved.

catured, by report, and that she exerts her utmost influence, and calls forth her best talents, upon every occasion which presents itself for serving those who have been her friends; and that, notwithstanding circumstances and disunion, either in politics or morals, may have made them become her enemies. Her generosity is cited as truly singular upon this head, and I have heard histories of her returning, personally, good for evil that would do honour to any character living. What a strangely complex mixture, my dearest father, is that mixture which forms human nature! That good, or rather grand qualities, may unite with almost every frailty!

After much deliberation and discussion, my French master composed the following answer :

66

Madame d'Arblay ne peut qu'être infiniment flattée de l'extrême bonté de Madame la Comtesse de Staël. Elle aura très certainement l'honneur de se présenter chez Madame de Staël aussitôt que possible."

Cooler than this it was not easy to write, and the ne peut qu'être is a tournure that is far enough from flattering. I hope, however, it will prepare her for the frozen kind of intercourse which alone can have place between us.

Madame d'Henin took us to a place called La folie de Chartres, formerly belonging to the Duc d'Orléans, but now a public garden. It is in a state of ruin, compared with what it formerly boasted of grandeur; the river cut through it is nearly dried up from neglect of the fountains; the house is turned into cake-rooms, and common benches are placed in the most open parts of the garden, while a multitude of little bridges are

half broken. Nevertheless, with all this, M. d'Arblay and I, with our Westhamble rusticity, thought it was probably more beautiful, though less habitable, than in its pristine state; for the grass wildly growing was verdant and refreshing, the uncut lilacs were lavish of sweets, and Nature all around seemed luxuriantly to revel over the works of art.

As I wished much to see the parade, or review, which was to take place on the 5th, and is only once a month, we were forced to devote the preceding day to visits, as it was decrced in our council of etiquette that I could not appear in a place where I might be seen by those who had shown me the civility of beginning an acquaintance, till I had acknowledged my debt to them.

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I was so thoroughly tired when I returned from all these visits, that I was forced to rest upon a bed for the remainder of the day, to my no small discomposure before the evening was closed; for, in a close cap, my feet in their native, undraperied state, hidden by a large, long, wrapping morning gown, your daughter, my dearest Sir, lay reclined on a bed, when, rather late in the evening, I was told Madame d'Henin was in the salon. I was going to send in my excuses, while I rose to get ready for waiting upon her; but Alex. flung open the door, and seeing where I was, and how fatigued, she insisted on my keeping still, and came to my bedside, and sat in friendly converse, listening to the history of my morning excursion, till a ring at the bell of our ante-room made me desire to have nobody admitted. Alex. again, however, frisking about, prevented Pauline, my little femme de chambre, from hearing me, and she announced Madame de la Fayette!

You may easily believe this name, and my present situation, put me into no small commotion. I was beseeching Madame d'Henin to go to the saloon with my apologies, when Alex., whose illness, though it has diminished his strength and his flesh, has left his spirits as wild as ever, called out to proclaim where I was, and while Madame Lafayette was gently moving on, flung the bed-room door wide open, saying, 66 Mamma is here!" Madame Lafayette, concluding, I suppose, that I received du monde in the French manner, immediately presented herself at the door, where I had no resource but to entreat Madame d'Henin, who is her intimate friend, to receive her, for I was wholly powerless, with my unsandaled feet, from rising.

Madame d'Henin now brought her to my bedside, where nothing could have been more awkward than my situation; but that the real reverence I had conceived for her character and her virtues made the sight of so singular a person, her condescension in the visit, and her goodness, though lame, in mounting three pair of stairs, give me a sensation of pleasure, that by animating my spirits, endowed me with a courage that overcame all difficulties both of language and position, and enabled me to express my gratitude for her kindness and my respect for her person, with something far nearer to fluency and clearness than anything in speech I have yet attempted. My mind instantly presented her to me, torn from her beloved family, and thrown into the death-impending prison of Robespierre; and then saved by his timely destruction from the scaffold, and then using her hardly-recovered liberty only by voluntarily sacrificing it to be immured with her husband in the dungeon of Olmutz. Various

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