* * * * *

It was in a few weeks after this latter communication between us that Lady Byron adopted the resolution of parting from him.  She had left London about the middle of January, on a visit to her father’s house, in Leicestershire, and Lord Byron was, in a short time after, to follow her.  They had parted in the utmost kindness,—­she wrote him a letter, full of playfulness and affection, on the road, and, immediately on her arrival at Kirkby Mallory, her father wrote to acquaint Lord Byron that she would return to him no more.  At the time when he had to stand this unexpected shock, his pecuniary embarrassments, which had been fast gathering around him during the whole of the last year (there having been no less than eight or nine executions in his house within that period), had arrived at their utmost; and at a moment when, to use his own strong expressions, he was “standing alone on his hearth, with his household gods shivered around him,” he was also doomed to receive the startling intelligence that the wife who had just parted with him in kindness, had parted with him—­for ever.

About this time the following note was written:—­

TO MR. ROGERS.

     “February 8. 1816.

“Do not mistake me—­I really returned your book for the reason assigned, and no other.  It is too good for so careless a fellow.  I have parted with all my own books, and positively won’t deprive you of so valuable ‘a drop of that immortal man.’

“I shall be very glad to see you, if you like to call, though I am at present contending with ’the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,’ some of which have struck at me from a quarter whence I did not indeed expect them—­But, no matter, ’there is a world elsewhere,’ and I will cut my way through this as I can.

     “If you write to Moore, will you tell him that I shall answer his
     letter the moment I can muster time and spirits?  Ever yours,

     “BN.”

* * * * *

The rumours of the separation did not reach me till more than a week afterwards, when I immediately wrote to him thus:—­“I am most anxious to hear from you, though I doubt whether I ought to mention the subject on which I am so anxious.  If, however, what I heard last night, in a letter from town, be true, you will know immediately what I allude to, and just communicate as much or as little upon the subject as you think proper;—­only something I should like to know, as soon as possible, from yourself, in order to set my mind at rest with respect to the truth or falsehood of the report.”  The following is his answer:—­

LETTER 233.  TO MR. MOORE.

     “February 29. 1816.