Part 12 (1/2)
WELLINGTON.
LONDON, Feb. 5, 1840.
1/2 past eleven A.M.
MY DEAR MISS J.,--I did not return from the House of Lords last night till Midnight; and did not receive Your Letter of yesterday till this Moment.
You are quite right not to desire to see me.
I refer you to what I wrote some time ago upon that Subject; on which there can be no alteration.
Ever Yours Most faithfully.
WELLINGTON.
”The Duke's next letter is dated Feb. 20th 1840 wherein he writes--'I have only this day received your letter dated Sat.u.r.day afternoon. I was indisposed last week. But thank G.o.d! I have been quite well for some days. So many letters come here for me; that I think it most probable that the Medical Gentlemen desired that none should be given me.' [Endnote 2]
”The next letter from the Duke is dated March 3rd in which he writes 'I am very much obliged to you for your letter of the 2nd Inst. now received. I thank you for mentioning my health. I was unwell about three weeks ago but, thank G.o.d! I have been quite well ever since.'”
Another quarrel is now brewing, and Miss J. must, as usual, have lodged the first complaint, since the Duke at once a.s.sumes a defensive att.i.tude.
LONDON, March 6, 1840. 11 A.M.
MY DEAR MISS J.,--I am very much concerned that my affairs should render it necessary for me frequently to go into the Country; and that as you don't receive an answer to your Note you should still think it must have been perused by my Servants or someone else.
If you cannot divest yourself of this suspicion you would act more wisely in not writing to me again; if you should care one Pin who sees your Letters!
I received last night on my return to London your Letter of the 4^th and I acknowledge the receipt thereof this morning.
Believe me Ever Your
Most faithful Servant,
WELLINGTON.
”The Duke's next letter dated March 9th wherein he writes: 'I am really much concerned that you should suppose that my last note to you was what you call Cross. But I am not so foolish as ever to be cross much less in writing.'”
The Duke seems in his next letter, dated March 11, to return to the third person again, wherein he writes after presenting his compliments: ”The Duke has received her letter of the 10th, Inst. which does not appear to him to require any answer.”
LONDON, March 13, 1840.
1/2 past 11 A.M.
The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. Miss J. thinks proper to write to the Duke; but complains of the inconvenience attending the observations of the Curious among the Publick, upon the frequency of the Correspondence.
She sometimes objects to the Substance; at others to the form of the Duke's Letters. The Duke has endeavored invariably to render them as respectful as possible to Miss J., in form as well as in Substance.