been unfavourable is a great pity; here we have had a most
beautiful and mild weather till the 8th, when a severe thunderstorm
put an end to it.

Poor Lord Hardinge! I believe after all, though all these people
pretend _not_ to mind it, that the Press killed him. I once told Lady
Maryborough and the late Duchess of Wellington that it was fortunate
the Duke cared so little for the Press. "Care little," they said;
"why, nothing annoys and irritates him more." I find it natural; doing
one's best, working with all one's nerves, and to be abused for it, is
not pleasant.

To explain the real state of dear Charlotte's affair I enclose the
only copy of my letter which exists, and pray you kindly to send it me
back. My object is and was that Charlotte should decide as _she_
likes it, and uninfluenced by what I might prefer. _I_ should _prefer_
Pedro, that I confess, but the Archduke[53] has made a favourable
impression on Charlotte; I saw that long before any question of
engagement had taken place. The Archduke is out at sea, and nothing
can well be heard before the 25th of this month. If the thing takes
place the Emperor ought to put him at the head of Venice; he is well
calculated for it.

I am going on the 15th to Ardenne for a week. I have been since that
revolution of 1848 kept away from it almost entirely, compared
to former days. And now, with my best love to Albert, I must end,
remaining ever, my dearest Victoria, your truly devoted and only
Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 53: The Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of
Austria, afterwards Emperor of Mexico.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL, _13th October 1856_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I am truly thankful for your kind letter and the
very confidential enclosure which I return, and which has interested
us both very much, and is truly kind and paternal. I _still hope_ by
your letter that Charlotte has not finally made up her mind--as we
both feel so strongly convinced of the immense superiority of Pedro
over any other young Prince even _dans les relations journalistes_,
besides which the position is so infinitely preferable. The Austrian
society is _medisante_ and profligate and worthless--and the Italian
possessions very shaky. Pedro is full of resource--fond of music, fond
of drawing, of languages, of natural history, and literature, in all
of which Charlotte would suit him, and would be a _real_ benefit to
the country. If Ch