o it at Bowood the
other day. The gentlemen of the party were discussing the matter, and
seemed all agreed upon the subject of Lord Strangford's innocence; but
while declaring unanimously that the accusation was unfounded and
unwarrantable, they added it was not half as bad as an attack of the
same sort made by one of the papers upon Lords Normanby and Canterbury,
which, after much discussion, was supposed to have been dictated
entirely by political animosity; the sole motive assigned for the
selection of those two men as the objects of such an odious accusation
being the fact of their personal want of popularity, and also that they
were known to be needy men, whose fortunes were considerably crippled by
their extravagance.

Of course, lie-makers must make plausibility one element of their craft;
but this did seem a pleasant specimen of the manufacture. To be sure, I
am bound to add that this account came from Whigs, and the attack was
made by a Tory paper upon two members of the ex-Government; so you may
believe it or not, according as you are Whig or Tory inclined to-day
(that is to say, the motives assigned); the attack itself is not matter
of doubt, having been visibly printed in one or more of the Tory papers.
Both parties, however, have, I suppose, their staff of appointed
technical and professional liars.

Good-bye, dear.

Ever yours,
FANNY.

HARLEY STREET, Thursday, December 30th, 1841.
DEAREST HARRIET,

... I am a little surprised at your writing to me about my rule of
correspondence as you do, because in several instances when you have
particularly desired me to answer you immediately, I have done so; and
should always do so, not by you alone, but by any one who requested an
immediate reply to a letter. If it were in my power to answer such a
communication on the same day, I should certainly do it, and, under such
circumstances, always have done so. As for my _rule_ of letter-writing,
absurd as some of its manifestations undoubtedly are, it is not, I
think, absurd _per se_; and I adopted it as more likely to result in
justice to _all_ my correspondents than any other I could follow. I have
a great dislike to letter-writing, and, were I to consult my own
disinclination, instead of answering letter for letter with the most
scrupulous conscientiousness as I do, even the persons I love