Part 16 (1/2)
”The Duke's next letter is dated Oct. 19th, in which he writes; 'This Note cannot be sent from hence this day, there being no post.
I will add a line to it when I shall have an opportunity of sending it off, concluding at present with thanking you for your continued kindness toward me.
”'P.S. I add a line to tell you that I have received; and am very sensible of the kindness of your Letter of the 18th in the middle of the day; which was brought down here this evening by a messenger from my House in London.
”'I am happy to find that you had received my Letter; you need not be apprehensive of my catching Cold on my Journeys. You may rely upon my taking care of myself.
”'Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully,
”'WELLINGTON.'
”In the Duke's next letter, dated Oct. 24th, he writes--'I have to acknowledge the receipt of, and to thank you for your continued kindness in writing me two long letters.' At the end the Duke writes; 'It is possible that I may be under the necessity of going to London to attend to the opening of the New Royal Exchange.'
”The next letter from the Duke is dated Nov. 6th wherein he writes;
”'Some days have elapsed since I have heard from you and as I cannot recollect any reason for your silence I begin to be apprehensive that you may have been unwell and have been prevented by indisposition from writing to me. I therefore write this line to request you to write to me and let me know how you are.'
”On the same sheet the Duke writes Nov. 7th; 'I have this morning received yours of the 6th and am delighted to find that you are not indisposed. I was in Town on two different days in last week; in one I attended the Ceremony of opening the Royal Exchange by Her Majesty the Queen [Endnote 6]--on another to attend the marriage and indeed to give away in marriage a young Lady and was under the necessity of returning here as Time, Tides and Trains or Railroads wait for no Man and I had not time even to write, much less to go to see you.'
”The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 10th 1844 wherein he writes--'You always express in your letters the same interest for my welfare which has always drawn from me the expressions of my grateful sense of your kindness.' Again in the Duke's next letter dated Nov. the 12th he writes; 'Notwithstanding that I wrote to you so lately I will not suffer the Post to go this day without expressing my sense of your kindness in writing to me.'
”The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 19th, in which he writes--'I intend to go to see you as soon as I shall have a moment's leisure.
But my time is really so much employed in the service of the Public as to leave me none for social purposes and scarcely enough for Repose.'
”The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 20th, wherein he writes--'I write you one line to tell you that if it should be in my power I will call upon you this day after three o'clock.'
”The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 3rd, wherein he writes--'I was so much occupied with public business that I could not call upon you again. I am quite well. Then I was at Windsor Castle in attendance upon Her Majesty the Queen during the five last days of last week. I have not got the Parcel to which you referred.'
”In the Duke's letter dated Dec. 11th, he writes; 'I have been very much concerned to hear that you are unwell. You must take care of yourself and keep yourself very warm in this bad weather.'
”The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 14th wherein he writes--'I returned to London last night having been detained at Windsor Castle till late in the afternoon and I went there on Thursday and received your Note dated the 13th, for which I am much obliged.'
”The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 20th wherein he writes--'I am very sorry, but my time is so much occupied, and while the Almighty will deign to permit me to live will be so occupied as that I shall not have leisure to pay visits. I have frequently expressed my regret that it should be so and repeat them now.'
”In the Duke's next letter, dated Dec. 21st, he writes; 'I am very sensible of the kindness of your letter of yesterday afternoon which I received last night.
”'I am, thank G.o.d! in perfect good health but have had the misfortune of losing my Sister. But I trust that by the Mercy of G.o.d! She is Happy.' [Endnote 7]
”The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 24th, wherein he writes--'I have received several letters from you after my return to Town after paying the last Respects to the Memory of my poor Sister--I return you my thanks for them all and am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me.'
”In a letter from the Duke dated Dec. 26th, he writes--'I am sorry to learn that you have caught cold and are suffering from sore throat. I hope that you will take care of yourself and avoid to expose yourself to cold in this severe weather. I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me as you have; I hope that I feel as I ought upon the occasion of the recent described affliction which I have suffered.'
”1845.--The first letter from the Duke, of this year, is dated Jan.
3rd, wherein he writes; 'I am very much obliged to you my dear Miss J. for several letters received from you in these last days; and regret that I was so much occupied when I received each of them as to be unable to acknowledge its receipt by return of Post. I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me.'
”The next letter from the Duke is dated Jan. 13th wherein he writes--
”When I wrote to you last My dear Miss J. I omitted to thank you for one letter which I had received from you. The one to which I refer was dated the 23rd Inst., the day on which I attended the funeral of my poor Sister. I was in London for three days but my time was so much occupied that I could not even write to you, much less fix a time at which I could be able to pay you a visit.'