another week brought another letter from the earl of fitz-pompey.
the earl of fitz-pompey to the duke of st. james. [read this alone.]
‘my dear george,
‘i beg you will not be alarmed by the above memorandum, which i thought it but prudent to prefix. a very disagreeable affair has just taken place, and to a degree exceedingly alarming; but it might have turned out much more distressing, and, on the whole, we may all congratulate ourselves at the result. not to keep you in fearful suspense, i beg to recall your recollection to the rumour which i noticed in my last, of the intention of lady aphrodite grafton to oppose the divorce. a few days back, her brother lord wariston, with whom i was previously unacquainted, called upon me by appointment, having previously requested a private interview. the object of his seeing me was no less than to submit to my inspection the letters by aid of which it was anticipated that the divorce might be successfully opposed. you will be astounded to hear that these consist of a long series of correspondence of mrs. dallington vere’s, developing, i am shocked to say, machinations of a very alarming nature, the effect of which, my dear george, was no less than very materially to control your fortunes in life, and those of that charming and truly admirable lady whom you have delighted us all so much by declaring to be our future relative.
‘from the very delicate nature of the disclosures, lord wariston felt the great importance of obtaining all necessary results without making them public; and, actuated by these feelings, he applied to me, both as your nearest relative, and an acquaintance of sir lucius, and, as he expressed it, and i may be permitted to repeat, as one whose experience in the management of difficult and delicate negotiations was not altogether unknown, in order that i might be put in possession of the facts of the case, advise and perhaps interfere for the common good.
‘under these circumstances, and taking into consideration the extreme difficulty attendant upon a satisfactory arrangement of the affair, i thought fit, in confidence, to apply to arundel, whose talents i consider of the first order, and only equalled by his prudence and calm temper. as a relation, too, of more than one of the parties concerned, it was perhaps only proper that the correspondence should be submitted to him.
‘i am sorry to say, my dear george, that arundel behaved in a very odd manner, and not at all with that discretion which might have been expected both from one of his remarkably sober and staid disposition, and one not a little experienced in diplomatic life. he exhibited the most unequivocal signs of his displeasure at the conduct of the parties principally concerned, and expressed himself in so vindictive a manner against one of them, that i very much regretted my application, and requested him to be cool.
‘he seemed to yield to my solicitations, but i regret to say his composure was only feigned, and the next morning he and sir lucius grafton met. sir lucius fired first, without effect, but arundel’s aim was more fatal, and his ball was lodged in the thigh of his adversary. sir lucius has only been saved by amputation; and i need not remark to you that to such a man life on such conditions is scarcely desirable. all idea of a divorce is quite given over. the letters in question were stolen from his cabinet by his valet, and given to a soubrette of his wife, whom sir lucius considered in his interest, but who, as you see, betrayed him.
‘for me remained the not very agreeable office of seeing mrs. dallington vere. i made known to her, in a manner as little offensive as possible, the object of my visit. the scene, my dear george, was trying; and i think it hard that the follies of a parcel of young people should really place me in such a distressing position. she fainted, &c, and wished the letters to be given up, but lord wariston would not consent to this, though he promised to keep their contents secret provided she quitted the country. she goes directly; and i am well assured, which is not the least surprising part of this strange history, that her affairs are in a state of great distraction. the relatives of her late husband are about again to try the will, and with prospect of success. she has been negotiating with them for some time through the agency of sir lucius grafton, and the late exposé will not favour her interests.
‘if anything further happens, my dear george, depend upon my writing; but arundel desires me to say that on saturday he will run down to dacre for a few days, as he very much wishes to see you and all. with our united remembrance to mr. and miss dacre,
‘ever, my dear george,
‘your very affectionate uncle,
‘fitz-pompey.’
the young duke turned with trembling and disgust from these dark terminations of unprincipled careers; and these fatal evidences of the indulgence of unbridled passions. how nearly, too, had he been shipwrecked in this moral whirlpool! with what gratitude did he not invoke the beneficent providence that had not permitted the innate seeds of human virtue to be blighted in his wild and neglected soul! with what admiration did he not gaze upon the pure and beautiful being whose virtue and whose loveliness were the causes of his regeneration, the sources of his present happiness, and the guarantees of his future joy!
four years have now elapsed since the young duke of st. james was united to may dacre; and it would not be too bold to declare, that during that period he has never for an instant ceased to consider himself the happiest and the most fortunate of men. his life is passed in the agreeable discharge of all the important duties of his exalted station, and his present career is by far a better answer to the lucubrations of young duncan macmorrogh than all the abstract arguments that ever yet were offered in favour of the existence of an aristocracy.
hauteville house and hauteville castle proceed in regular course. these magnificent dwellings will never erase simple and delightful rosemount from the grateful memory of the duchess of st. james. parliament, and in a degree society, invite the duke and duchess each year to the metropolis, and mr. dacre is generally their guest. their most intimate and beloved friends are arundel and his wife, and as lady caroline now heads the establishment of castle dacre, they are seldom separated. but among their most agreeable company is a young gentleman styled by courtesy dacre, marquess of hauteville, and his young sister, who has not yet escaped from her beautiful mother’s arms, and who beareth the blooming title of the lady may.
