parti.  All her father can give, or leave her, he will; and from her childless uncle, Lord Wentworth, whose barony, it is supposed, will devolve on Ly.  Milbanke (her sister), she has expectations.  But these will depend upon his own disposition, which seems very partial towards her.  She is an only child, and Sir R.’s estates, though dipped by electioneering, are considerable.  Part of them are settled on her; but whether that will be dowered now, I do not know,—­though, from what has been intimated to me, it probably will.  The lawyers are to settle this among them, and I am getting my property into matrimonial array, and myself ready for the journey to Seaham, which I must make in a week or ten days.

“I certainly did not dream that she was attached to me, which it seems she has been for some time.  I also thought her of a very cold disposition, in which I was also mistaken—­it is a long story, and I won’t trouble you with it.  As to her virtues, &c. &c. you will hear enough of them (for she is a kind of pattern in the north), without my running into a display on the subject.  It is well that one of us is of such fame, since there is sad deficit in the morale of that article upon my part,—­all owing to my ’bitch of a star,’ as Captain Tranchemont says of his planet.

     “Don’t think you have not said enough of me in your article on T *
     *; what more could or need be said?

“Your long-delayed and expected work—­I suppose you will take fright at ‘The Lord of the Isles’ and Scott now.  You must do as you like,—­I have said my say.  You ought to fear comparison with none, and any one would stare, who heard you were so tremulous,—­though, after all, I believe it is the surest sign of talent.  Good morning.  I hope we shall meet soon, but I will write again, and perhaps you will meet me at Nottingham.  Pray say so.

     “P.S.  If this union is productive, you shall name the first
     fruits.”

* * * * *

LETTER 205.  TO MR. HENRY DRURY.

     “October 18. 1814.

     “My dear Drury,

“Many thanks for your hitherto unacknowledged ‘Anecdotes.’  Now for one of mine—­I am going to be married, and have been engaged this month.  It is a long story, and, therefore, I won’t tell it,—­an old and (though I did not know it till lately) a mutual attachment.  The very sad life I have led since I was your pupil must partly account for the offs and ons in this now to be arranged business.  We are only waiting for the lawyers and settlements, &c.; and next week, or the week after, I shall go down to Seaham in the new character of a regular suitor for a wife of mine own.

“I hope Hodgson is in a fair way on the same voyage—­I saw him and his idol at Hastings.  I wish he would be married at