he deserves;
and since I know this journey can only be designed to expose me, I shall
not value what noise is made. Perhaps you may prevent it; I leave you to
judge of the most proper method; 'tis certain no time should be lost;
fear is his predominant passion, and I believe you may fright him from
coming hither, where he will certainly find a reception very
disagreeable to him."

[Footnote 4: John Dalrymple, second Earl of Stair (1673-1747), British
Ambassador at Paris, 1715-1720.]

"September 6, 1721.

"I have consulted my lawyer, and he says I cannot, with safety to
myself, deposit the money I have received into other hands, without the
express order of Remond; and he is so unreasonable, that he will neither
send a procuration to examine my accounts, or any order for me to
transfer his stock into another name. I am heartily weary of the trust,
which has given me so much trouble, and can never think myself safe till
I am quite got rid of it: rather than be plagued any longer with the
odious keeping, I am willing to abandon my letters to his discretion. I
desire nothing more of him than an order to place his money in other
hands, which methinks should not be so hard to obtain, since he is so
dissatisfied with my management; but he seems to be bent to torment me,
and will not even touch his money, because I beg it of him. I wish you
would represent these things to him; for my own part, I live in so much
uneasiness about it, that I sometimes weary of life itself."

[October (?) 1721.]

"I cannot forbear (dear sister) accusing you of unkindness that you take
so little care of a business of the last consequence to me. R. [Remond]
writ to me some time ago, to say if I would immediately send him L2,000
sterling, he would send me an acquittance. As this was sending him
several hundreds out of my own pocket, I absolutely refused it; and, in
return, I have just received a threatening letter, to print I know not
what stuff against me. I am too well acquainted with the world (of which
poor Mrs. Murray's affair is a fatal instance), not to know that the
most groundless accusation is always of ill consequence to a woman;
besides the cruel misfortune it may bring upon me in my own family. If
you have any compassion either for me or my innocent children, I am sure
you will try to prevent it. The thing is too serious to be delayed. I
think (to say nothing either of blood or affection), that humanity and
Christianity are int