66 66 "There was something piquant, and what we term pretty, in Miss Millbank. Her features were small and feminine, though not regular. She had the fairest skin imaginable. Her figure was perfect for her height, and "there was a simplicity, a retired modesty about her, " which was very characteristic, and formed a happy con"trast to the cold artificial formality, and studied stiffness, which is called fashion. She interested me exceedingly. "It is unnecessary to detail the progress of our acquaint66 ance. I became daily more attached to her, and it ended "in my making her a proposal that was rejected. Her 66 66 66 refusal was couched in terms that could not offend me. "I was besides persuaded that, in declining my offer, she ። was governed by the influence of her mother; and was "the more confirmed in this opinion by her reviving our correspondence herself twelve months after. The tenor "of her letter was, that although she could not love me, "she desired my friendship. Friendship is a dangerous "word for young ladies; it is Love full-fledged, and waiting for a fine day to fly. 66 "It had been predicted by Mrs. Williams, that twenty"seven was to be a dangerous age for me. The fortunetelling witch was right; it was destined to prove so. I "shall never forget the 2d of January! Lady Byron (Byrn, he pronounced it) was the only unconcerned person present; Lady Noel, her mother, cried; I trembled "like a leaf, made the wrong responses, and after the ceremony called her Miss Millbank. 66 66 66 "There is a singular history attached to the ring. The very day the match was concluded, a ring of my mother's, that had been lost, was dug up by the gardener at "Newstead. I thought it was sent on purpose for the "wedding; but my mother's marriage had not been a "fortunate one, and this ring was doomed to be the seal " of an unhappier union still.* "After the ordeal was over, we set off for a country seat of Sir Ralph's; and I was surprised at the arrange"ments for the journey, and somewhat out of humour to "find a lady's-maid stuck between me and my bride. It 66 was rather too early to assume the husband; so I was "Save the ring, Which, being the damned'st part of matrimony-". Don Juan, Canto IX. Stanza 70. "forced to submit, but it was not with a very good grace. "Put yourself in a similar situation, and tell me if I had "not some reason to be in the sulks. I have been ac"cused of saying, on getting into the carriage, that I had "married Lady Byron out of spite, and because she had "refused me twice. Though I was for a moment vexed "at her prudery, or whatever you may choose to call it, if "I had made so uncavalier, not to say brutal a speech, I 66 66 am convinced Lady Byron would instantly have left the carriage to me and the maid (I mean the lady's). She "had spirit enough to have done so, and would properly "have resented the affront. "Our honeymoon was not all sunshine; it had its clouds and Hobhouse has some letters which would serve to explain the rise and fall in the barometer,--but "it was never down at zero. You tell me the world says I married Miss Millbank "for her fortune, because she was a great heiress. All I "have ever received, or am likely to receive, (and that has "been twice paid back too,) was 10,000l. My own income at this period was small, and somewhat bespoke. New"stead was a very unprofitable estate, and brought me in 66 "a bare 1500l. a-year; the Lancashire property was 66 hampered with a law-suit, which has cost me 14,000l., " and is not yet finished. 66 66 "We had a house in town, gave dinner-parties, had separate carriages, and launched into every sort of extravagance. This could not last long. My wife's "10,000l. soon melted away. I was beset by duns, and at length an execution was levied, and the bailiffs put in possession of the very beds we had to sleep on. This was no very agreeable state of affairs, no very pleasant scene for Lady Byron to witness; and it was agreed she should pay her father a visit till the storm had blown 66 66 66 66 66 over, and some arrangements had been made with my "creditors. You may suppose on what terms we parted, "from the style of a letter she wrote me on the road: you will think it began ridiculously enough,-'Dear Duck! '* 66 66 Imagine my astonishment to receive, immediately on "her arrival in London, a few lines from her father, of a very dry and unaffectionate nature, beginning 'Sir,' 66 Shelley, who knew this story, used to say these two words would look odd in an Italian translation, Anitra carissima. " and ending with saying that his daughter should never "see me again. "In my reply I disclaimed his authority as a parent over my wife, and told him I was convinced the senti ments expressed were his, not hers. Another post, "however, brought me a confirmation (under her own "hand and seal) of her father's sentence. I afterwards "learnt from Fletcher's (my valet's) wife, who was at that 66 66 time femme-de-chambre to Lady Byron, that after her "definite resolution was taken, and the fatal letter consigned to the post-office, she sent to withdraw it, and was in hysterics of joy that it was not too late. It seems, "however, that they did not last long, or that she was afterwards over-persuaded to forward it. There can be no doubt that the influence of her enemies prevailed 66 over her affection for me. You ask me if no cause was 66 66 66 66 assigned for this sudden resolution?-if I formed no conjecture about the cause? I will tell you. "I have prejudices about women: I do not like to see "them eat. Rousseau makes Julie un peu gourmande; "but that is not at all according to my taste. I do not "like to be interrupted when I am writing. Lady Byron F |