s, and I know for a certainty that she will marry him in a week;
this as yet is a secret. There will be a great mixture, but the ball
will be worth going to: I have a card for you.

"Lady Huffemall and I think that we shall not patronize the future
duchess; but have not yet made up our minds. Lady Roseville, however,
speaks of the intended match with great respect, and says that since we
admit convenance, as the chief rule in matrimony, she never remembers an
instance in which it has been more consulted.

"There are to be several promotions in the peerage. Lord H--'s friends
wish to give out that he will have a dukedom; Mais j'en doute. However,
he has well deserved it; for he not only gives the best dinners in town,
but the best account of them, in the Morning Post, afterwards; which I
think is very properly upholding the dignity of our order.

"I hope most earnestly that you do not (in your country retreat) neglect
your health; nor, I may add, your mind; and that you take an opportunity
every other day of practising waltzing, which you can very well do, with
the help of an arm-chair. I would send you down (did I not expect you
here so soon) Lord Mount E--'s Musical Reminiscences; not only because
it is a very entertaining book; but because I wish you to pay much
greater attention to music than you seem inclined to do. T. H--who is
never very refined in his bon mots, says, that Lord M. seems to have
considered the world a concert, in which the best performer plays
first fiddle. It is, indeed, quite delightful to see the veneration
our musical friend has for the orchestra and its occupants. I wish to
heaven, my dear Henry, he could instil into you a little of his ardour.
I am quite mortified at times by your ignorance of tunes and operas:
nothing tells better in conversation, than a knowledge of music, as you
will one day or other discover.

"God bless you, my dearest Henry. Fully expecting you, I have sent to
engage your former rooms at Mivart's; do not let me be disappointed.

"Yours,

"F. P."

I read the above letter twice over, and felt my cheek glow and my heart
swell as I passed the passage relative to Lord Dawton and the borough.
The new minister had certainly, for some weeks since, been playing a
double part with me; it would long ago have been easy to procure me a
subordinate situation--still easier to place me in parliament; yet he
had contented himself with doubtful promises and idle civilities. What