y such
persons. The friends of her friend were her friends. They were not
such by virtue of their political position and ideas. Though it is no
doubt true, that caring little about politics, and in a jesting way
(how jesting many a memorial of fun between her and Lady Dyer, and
Miss Gabell, the daughter of Dr. Gabell of Winchester, is still extant
in my hands to prove;) the general tone of the house was "Liberal."
But nothing can be farther from the truth than the idea that my mother
was led to become a Tory by the "graciousness" of any "marquises" or
great folks of any kind. I am inclined to think that there was _one_
great personage, whose (not graciousness, but) intellectual influence
_did_ impel her mind in a Conservative direction. And this was
Metternich. She had more talk with him than her book on Vienna would
lead a reader to suppose; and very far more of his mind and influence
reached her through the medium of the Princess.

To how great a degree this is likely to have been the case may be in
some measure perceived from a letter which the Princess addressed to
my mother shortly after she had left Vienna. She preserved it among a
few others, which she specially valued, and I transcribe it from the
original now before me.

* * * * *

"Vous ne pourriez croire, chere Madame Trollope, combien le portrait
que vous avez charge le Baron Huegel de me remettre m'a fait de
plaisir!

"Il y a longtemps que je cachais au fonds de mon coeur le desir de
posseder votre portrait, qui, interressant pour le monde, est devenu
precieux pour moi, puisque j'ai le plaisir de vous connaitre telle
que vous etes, bonne, simple, bienveillante, et loin de tout ce qui
effroie et eloigne des reputations literaires. Je remercie M. Hervieu
de Tavoir fait aussi ressemblant. Et je vous assure, chere Madame
Trollope, que rien ne pouvait me toucher aussi vivement et me faire
autant de plaisir que ce souvenir venant de vous, qui me rappelera
sans cesse les bons moments que j'ai eu la satisfaction de passer avec
vous et qui resteront a jamais cheres a ma memoire.

"MELANIE, PRINCESSE DE METTERNICH."

* * * * *

I think that the hours passed by the Princess and my mother
_tete-a-tete_, save for the presence of the artist occupied by his
work during the painting of the Princess Melanie's portrait for
my mother, were mainly the cause of the real intimacy of mind and
affection which