Part 6 (2/2)

”In the Duke's next letter of Nov. 11th he writes in allusion to me; 'She is so kind to the Duke; and she writes to him with so much earnestness and feeling that it is impossible that he should not be impressed with a deep sense of His obligation to her for taking so much trouble.'

”In his next of the 12th of November he returns me many thanks for my letters.

”By the next letter I presume some inconvenience attended my receiving the Duke as he writes--'It appears that for some reason with which Miss J. states it to be her intention at some future time to acquaint the Duke--it will not be in Miss J.'s power to receive the Duke.'

”Another letter dated the 16th of November, as was the above, refers to my dating my letters on the outside. He writes 'Franks are dated on the outside because the Law requires the use of that form.'

”What I had written to call it forth I cannot remember but the Duke in his next of the 16th of November says 'he has no pretension to superiority,' reminding me of a circ.u.mstance which took place at the commencement of our acquaintance when I told him that his being the Duke of Wellington was nothing to me--leading him to reply 'I know it, I know it and I respect you for it.'

”Judging by the Duke's next letter of the 16th (being the second of that date) I had formed the wish to have a letter of mine returned--which letter I found with all others had been destroyed.

The Duke encloses the succeeding one.”

MY LORD DUKE,--I once more take up pen, but in all probability for the last time, if I rightly understand you to mean you are capable of receiving my letters in _silence_, to which I decline subjecting myself. I consider a reply and a very different one to those _lately_ received due to me in the sight of _That G.o.d_ Who _created_ such an interest in your eternal happiness and I am very much mistaken if he does not make you feel the power of this impression by exercising His ALMIGHTY _power_ in some unforeseen manner.

The information that you have destroyed my letters is _any thing_ but gratifying; one and all being more or less marked with _Divine_ Truth, calculated if properly and _seriously_ considered, to benefit your _immortal Soul_. Nor should I imagine myself _justified_ in spending my time in _future_ by penning such to have them committed to the flames. Therefore I shall decline troubling you with a repet.i.tion of this kind, until you consider them sufficiently valuable to retain instead of destroy.

In the mean time I shall occupy myself with any other work my Heavenly Father may condescendingly point out; it being of very little consequence to me how I am employed so that it is under _His direction_ and in HIS _Service_....

I remain, My Lord Duke, so long as G.o.d permits.

Your faithful Christian Friend.

A. J.

”The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. the third followed by one of the 8th which implies I wrote to the Duke on the death of the Countess of S., as he writes 'It is true that a near relation of the Duke's has died a terrible death.'

”By the Duke's letter of the 11th of December I presume I continued displeased at his having burnt my letters,--a truth elicited through wis.h.i.+ng one of them returned, which consequently it was not in his power to do--considering as I told him that it was a sin in the sight of G.o.d to destroy Epistles intended for his everlasting good.”

The Duke's reply to this is given in full:--

STRATHFIELDSAYE, Dec^r 15, 1835.

The Duke of Wellington presents his Comp^ts to Miss J. He has only this day received her Letter commenced on Sat.u.r.day and finished on Monday. He is much concerned to learn that Miss J.

has been indisposed; and he hopes that she will have been relieved by attending to the Advice of the Medical Gentleman for whom she had sent.

Nothing will be more satisfactory to the Duke than to put an end to all Dissension upon bygone subjects. He has no feeling upon any of them excepting a desire to avoid to give occasion unknowingly and unwillingly for irritation.

The Duke is much obliged to Miss J. for her Letter. He does not entirely concur in all the opinions contained in that Letter. He a.s.sures her however that he has perused it as he Does all those received from her, with attention. He will state his objections at some future time.

It is quite impossible for the Duke to keep Miss J.'s letters.

They are in general long; and they succeed each other rapidly. If the Duke was to keep them, they might be seen by others. He therefore destroys them as soon as he has read, and perfectly understands them.

This explanation evidently soothed Miss J.'s ruffled feelings, for she makes no further reference at this time to the ”Dissension.” The Diary continues:--

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