its selfishness to Laverstoke, and not into the fire, where I
am inclined to put it.... God bless you, dear Lotty.

Your loving sister,

F.R.

_Lady Russell to Lady Charlotte Portal_

PEMBROKE LODGE, _January_ 4, 1878

I am reading the third volume of Prince Albert, and love and admire
him more and more--but am very angry with the book as regards John:
the unfairness from omission of all particulars which he alone
could have given with regard to his resignation on Roebuck's
motion, and his non-resignation after Vienna, is something I cannot
forgive.

Early in this year, 1878, Lady Russell writes of a dinner-party at Lord
Selborne's:

Agatha and I dined in town, with the Selbornes. I between Lord
Selborne and Gladstone, who was as usual most agreeable and most
eloquent, giving life and fervour to conversation whatever was the
subject. "The Eastern Question," the "Life of Prince Albert," the
comedy of "Diplomacy," the different degrees of "parliamentary
courage" in different statesmen, etc. He said that in his opinion
Sir Robert Peel, my husband, and, "I must give the devil his due,"
Disraeli, were the three statesmen whom he had known who had the
most "parliamentary courage."

In the summer of 1877 Lord Russell had taken a house overlooking the sea
near Broadstairs. But he was falling into a gradual decline, the
consequence of great age, and after they came home from Broadstairs, he
never again left Pembroke Lodge.

_Lady Russell to Lady Charlotte Portal_

PEMBROKE LODGE, _January_ 11, 1878

Do not think too much of the pain to me, but of the mercy of there
being none to him, in this gradual extinction of a mind which gave
light to so many, of affections which made home so happy. My worst
pain is over--was over long ago--the pain of first acknowledging to
myself my own loneliness, without the guide, the example, the
support, which so long were mine--without those golden joys of
perfect companionship which made the hours fly when we sat and
talked together on many an evening of blessed memory, or strolled
together among our trees and our flowers, or snatched a few moments
together from his days and nights of noble toil in London. All this
is over, all this and much more, but gratitude that it _has
been_ remains, and the bright hope of a renewal of companionship
herea