Not ask a question, my lord?—­

Don’t, Grandison, don’t!—­Jeronymo and Clementina are my soul’s woe—­But they are not worse than might be apprehended.  You go to court with me to-morrow:  I will present you to the king.

I have had that honour formerly.  I must depart to-morrow morning early.  I have already taken leave of several of my friends here:  I have some to make my compliments to at Rome, which I reserved for my return.

You stay with me to-night?—­I intend it, my lord.

Well, we will return to company.  I must make my excuses to my friends.  Your departure to-morrow must be one.  They all admire you.  They are acquainted with your character.  They will join with me to engage you, if possible, to stay longer.—­We returned to the company.

LETTER IV

MISS BYRON, TO MISS SELBY

Receive now, my dear, the doctor’s thirteenth letter, and the last he intends to favour us with, till he entertains us with the histories of Mrs. Beaumont, and Lady Olivia.

***

DR. BARTLETT’S THIRTEENTH LETTER

Mr. Grandison set out next morning.  The general’s behaviour to him at his departure, was much more open and free than it was at receiving him.

Mr. Grandison, on his return to Florence, entered into the affairs of his late friend Mr. Jervois, with the spirit, and yet with the temper, for which he is noted, when he engages in any business.  He put every thing in a happy train in fewer days than it would have cost some other persons months; for he was present himself on every occasion, and in every business, where his presence would accelerate it; yet he had embarrassments from Olivia.

He found, before he set out for Naples, that Mrs. Beaumont, at the earnest request of the marchioness, was gone to Bologna.  At his return, not hearing any thing from Signor Jeronymo, he wrote to Mrs. Beaumont, requesting her to inform him of the state of things in that family, as far as she thought proper; and, particularly, of the health of that dear friend, on whose silence to three letters he had written, he had the most melancholy apprehensions.  He let that lady know, that he should set out in a very few days for Paris, if he had no probability of being of service to the family she favoured with her company.

To this letter Mrs. Beaumont returned the following answer: 

SIR,

I have the favour of yours.  We are very miserable here.  The servants are forbidden to answer any inquiries, but generally; and that not truly.

Your friend, Signor Jeronymo, has gone through a severe operation.  He has been given over; but hopes are now entertained, not of his absolute recovery, but that he will be no worse than he was before the necessity for the operation arose.  Poor man!  He forgot not, however, his sister and you, when he was out of the power of the opiates that were administered to him.