Her Ladyship has been the better for this discipline.  She has overwhelmed me ever since with attentions and invitations.  I have at last found out the cause of her ill-humour, or at least of that portion of it of which I was the object.  She is in a rage at my article on Walpole, but at what part of it I cannot tell.  I know that she is very intimate with the Waldegraves, to whom the manuscripts belong, and for whose benefit the letters were published.  But my review was surely not calculated to injure the sale of the book.  Lord Holland told me, in an aside, that he quite agreed with me, but that we had better not discuss the subject.

A note; and, by my life, from my Lady Holland:  “Dear Mr. Macaulay, pray wrap yourself very warm, and come to us on Wednesday.”  No, my good Lady.  I am engaged on Wednesday to dine at the Albion Tavern with the Directors of the East India Company; now my servants; next week, I hope, to be my masters.

Ever yours

T. B. M.

To Hannah M. Macaulay.

London:  November 22, 1833.

My dear Sister,—­The decision is postponed for a week; but there is no chance of an unfavourable result.  The Chairs have collected the opinions of their brethren; and the result is, that, of the twenty-four Directors, only six or seven at the most will vote against me.

I dined with the Directors on Wednesday at the Albion Tavern.  We had a company of about sixty persons, and many eminent military men amongst them.  The very courteous manner in which several of the Directors begged to be introduced to me, and drank my health at dinner, led me to think that the Chairs have not overstated the feeling of the Court.  One of them, an old Indian and a great friend of our uncle the General, told me in plain words that he was glad to hear that I was to be in their service.  Another, whom I do not even know by sight, pressed the Chairman to propose my health.  The Chairman with great judgment refused.  It would have been very awkward to have had to make a speech to them in the present circumstances.

Of course, my love, all your expenses, from the day of my appointment, are my affair.  My present plan, formed after conversation with experienced East Indians, is not to burden myself with an extravagant outfit.  I shall take only what will be necessary for the voyage.  Plate, wine, coaches, furniture, glass, china, can be bought in Calcutta as well as in London.  I shall not have money enough to fit myself out handsomely with such things here; and to fit myself out shabbily would be folly.  I reckon that we can bring our whole expense for the passage within the twelve hundred pounds allowed by the Company.  My calculation is that our cabins and board will cost L250 apiece.  The passage of our servants L50 apiece.  That makes up L600.  My clothes and etceteras, as Mrs. Meeke observes, I will, I am quite sure, come within L200. [Mrs. Meeke was his favourite among bad novel-writers, See page 96.] Yours will, of course, be more.  I will send you L300 to lay out as you like; not meaning to confine you to it, by any means; but you would probably prefer having a sum down to sending in your milliner’s bills to me.  I reckon my servant’s outfit at L50; your maid’s at as much more.  The whole will be L1200.