Part 4 (2/2)

”Which of course I did not allow, as it was not my desire to be noticed in the neighborhood, shrinking from it then, as I do now, when it can be avoided. I recollect the Duke's visit well for he had to wait until I was dressed by dear Mrs. L. who was in the house at the time, as usual, for I think he came earlier than I had expected. Consequently in his next of the 29th he writes; 'I don't see why you are to take the trouble of dressing to receive me. But that is your own affair. If you should do so I can wait with Patience.'

”This was very pretty in His Grace, but as my dress was always very simple, it did not require any great exercise of that virtue.

”By the Duke's next letter of Sept. 1st I fear another letter is missing as he writes therein 'Mine of yesterday morning will have informed you that I was obliged to attend the King at Windsor on Sat.u.r.day and a part of His family at Kew on Sunday.--I did not say that _all_ my time was pa.s.sed in the House of Lords. Much of it is certainly pa.s.sed out of the House, but a great part of it is pa.s.sed in receiving and talking to the Hundreds, I may say, of the persons who have business in the House and come to converse on the business with me.'

”In the Duke's next letter of Sept. 4th he writes; 'I received this morning your letter of yesterday, but have not received the Tract that you mention. It is possibly too heavy for the 2nd Post.'

”Perhaps this was the case, as I do not recollect hearing any more of it. The next letter from His Grace is dated the same, Sept. 4th, Noon, in which he writes; 'I will endeavor to fix and let you know the time in which I can wait upon you again.'

”The Duke's next is dated Sept. 5th, in which he writes; 'I was in the House of Lords from 5 in the evening till two this morning. I am much obliged to you for the Tract which I will return as soon as I shall have perused it.' I presume this must have been a little book ent.i.tled The Joy of Israel as I only _lent_ that to people, its having been a Gift, for it is still in my possession. In the Duke's next, dated Sept. 7th, the Duke writes--'I have received your letter written on Sat.u.r.day for which I return you many thanks.

I am very sorry that I am so much occupied as to be unable to make my acknowledgments in person.'

”The Duke's next letter of Sept. 9th acknowledges one from me wherein I presume I have shown submission to the Divine will concerning the difficulty attending his visits for he writes;

”'This could not be otherwise. In the mean time be a.s.sured that I am anxious to have the pleasure and benefit of conversing with you as often as it may be in my power to see you.'”

A few pa.s.sages taken from Miss J.'s Diary at this time are interesting as displaying the intimate friends.h.i.+p that at this period existed between her and the Duke. On the 6th of September she writes:--

”I have been here (in London,) nearly a fortnight, yet have seen the Duke only twice, but receive letters daily,--and last night a particularly kind one. I have been expecting him, but he comes not, being so occupied with his Parliamentary business. What can I say to such things but this,--'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' and, 'Has HE not a right to do what HE will with His own?'

”_September 10th._ I wrote to the Duke to-day and hope the Lord will permit him to receive and answer it kindly. The Subject on which I addressed him was on Christ becoming sin for us and bearing the wrath of the Father. O Lord, I pray Thee, have mercy upon his precious soul!

”_September 14th._ I shall have been here three weeks to morrow, during which I have seen the Duke four times, and will just allude to the subjects introduced during each visit.

”The first brought with it remarks on TRUE n.o.bility, obliging me to declare it is to be found only in _Christ_ and _His Righteousness_ in man. I mentioned what St. Paul said when contrasting the Bereans with the Thessalonians, namely, 'These were more n.o.bLE than those _in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness_ of mind, and _searched the Scriptures_ DAILY, _whether these things were so_.'

”During the second visit, I read to him the 49th Psalm and particularly called his attention to the last verse thereof thus written--'Man that is in honour and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish,' reminding him they were G.o.d'S _Words_.

”During his third visit I told him I should like to be hated of all men for Christ's sake! and during his fourth and last that he did not believe Christ to be The Son of G.o.d! since which I have written to him daily and the first reply I receive is one calculated to produce another check to my feelings, all of which I give up entirely to the Lord, imploring Him to govern and actuate them just as HE sees His own honor and glory require, causing me to make nothing a consideration in comparison therewith.”

One can hardly imagine the Iron Duke, the conqueror of Napoleon, the representative of the nation in foreign councils, the ex-Prime Minister, the man upon whom his country delighted to heap honors, hearkening meekly to these homilies from pretty lips upon what const.i.tuted true n.o.bility. It is impossible to believe that his secret feelings were not those of amus.e.m.e.nt, however respectful his outward semblance. Nor is there much room for question as to whether he would have listened with as commendable patience had his lecturer been a man or a plain-faced woman advanced in years.

CHAPTER V.

FRESH DIFFICULTIES.

In spite of the harmonious relations existing between this curious pair of friends, another storm was brewing. The basis of this was a ridiculously slight matter. Miss J. was a stickler for all forms of deference, and carried this weakness to the verge of absurdity. Upon this was founded the quarrel. On the same day with the last entries given from her Diary one finds the following:--

”This morning I received the first letter from the Duke since his departure from Town,--and felt surprised at the alteration in the Seal,--_being plain!_ and unlike any other before received, which I consequently acknowledged with the feeling that a want of apparent respect where the _deepest_ is merited ought to call forth ... My feelings were I not afraid of offending G.o.d would incline me to seal up all the Duke's letters and return them, conscious that I merit an increase rather than a diminution of respect. Except such is bestowed the Duke need not be surprised at any step The Lord may incline me to take.”

One may be pardoned for the suspicion that the feelings attributed to the Lord were in fact derived from quite another source. The next day she continues to harp on the same subject:--

”_September 15th._ I rose this morning with the determination to write to the Duke, and did so before breakfast, when I took it to the Post Office myself, leaving the result with Him Who doeth all things well and leaveth nothing after Him.”

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