"In the Duke's next letter of the 12th of Oct. he writes—'He returns many thanks for her letter of the 10th inst.,' and his letter of the 14th of Oct. acknowledges another from me.
"In the Duke's letter of Nov. 1st he writes 'The Duke is unable to give any other answer to Miss J.'s letters excepting His thanks for taking the trouble of writing them.'
"The next is dated Nov. 7th also containing his thanks, followed by one of the 15th, the last of that year."
CHAPTER VII.
ASPIRATIONS AND REBUFFS.
"The first letter I find for this year is dated Aug. 21st 1838 which I see contains an Enclosure of three sheets addressed to Her Majesty Queen Adelaide, sent for the Duke's perusal, also to be delivered by him into Her Majesty's hands, which he felt under the necessity of declining, consequently returned it to me—having written therein as follows.
"'It is impossible for me to be at all instrumental in transmitting a letter to the Queen Dowager. Her Majesty has Chamberlains and Ladies in attendance upon Her Whose duty it is to receive and lay before H. M. the letters addressed to Her. I could not interfere in the performance of their Duties. I could not be instrumental in forwarding an anonymous Letter however proper, respectful and dictated by the Highest Motives. I could not say that I did not know that the Letter was sent; or the Writer thereof if enquiry should be made; and I should make myself liable to the Imputation of being instrumental in the forwarding to the Queen Dowager an anonymous letter! I hope therefore that you will excuse me for declining to forward this Letter and for returning it to you.
"'You are mistaken give me leave to observe in respect to the Subject to which this Letter relates. The House in which the Queen resides is Royal property; if not a Royal Palace! It is Her Majesty's Jointure House. The Royal Palaces used as such are not liable to the payment of Rates and Taxes. Her Majesty would not have been justified in making the payment on demand without reservation of the Right to Exemption. But she pays the money as a Gift which was improperly and illegally demanded as a Right. You will see it is the Parish and not the Queen which has contravened the Lord.'
"Having thus introduced so much of the Duke's letter it will be necessary to quote some passages from that referred to by him, which as implied still remains in the same position and will continue to do so among my papers for further investigation should such be resorted to after my decease; with the six cards that accompanied it, upon which are written in full: Matt. ii. 28, 29; Luke xvi. 15; Romans xii. 2; Isaiah xliii. 21; Acts xiv. 22; Hebrews xii. 6; John iii. 3; 2 Cor. v. 17; Rev. iii. 12; 1 John v. 3, 4; and James iv. 4.