Lady Hester related to me a dream that some one had had about her, in which a hand waving over her head, and several crowned heads humbled before her, were interpreted to indicate the greatness that just now, as she flattered herself, awaited her. What reason she had for thinking that relief from all her troubles was near at hand the reader has had opportunity of judging. She was always disposed, however, to see things in their brightest aspect—yesterday plunged into difficulties, and to-day extricating herself, if not in reality at least in imagination. “I am,” said she, “like the man in the Eastern story, who, imprisoned in a dungeon, and nearly starved to death, found in a poor sailor an old acquaintance, who conveyed to him secretly a basin of warm soup: but, just as he was putting it to his mouth, a rat fell from the ceiling, and knocked it out of his hand. Reduced thus to the lowest pitch of wretchedness, and seeing nothing left for him but to die, at the critical moment came a firmán from Constantinople to cut off the head of the pasha who had thrown him into prison, and he was saved. So it is with me: I cannot be worse off than I am; I shall, therefore, when the next steamboat comes, see what it brings; and, if I hear no news about the property that was left me, I shall get rid of you and everybody, and of all the women; and, with one black slave and Logmagi, I shall order the gateway to be walled up, leaving only room enough for my cows to go in and out to pasture, and I shall have no communication with any human being. I shall write to Lord Palmerston before you go, and tell him that, as he has thrown an aspersion on my name, I shall remain walled in here until he publicly removes it: and if he, or anybody, writes to me, there will be no answer; for, when you are gone, I shall have nobody to write for me.—This sort of life perhaps will suit me best, after all. I have often wished that I could have a room in my garden, and, lying there with only some necessary covering, slip from my bed as I was into my garden, and after a turn or two slip back again: I do assure you I should neither be low-spirited nor dull.”
To-day a letter was brought from an English traveller, Mr. M., to Lady Hester, the purport of which was that a gentleman of an ancient and honourable family was desirous of paying his respects to her. Lady Hester asked me to go down to Sayda, to call on him and say she should be happy to see him: accordingly, next morning, I went. I found a gentleman, of about forty or forty-two years of age, installed at the customary lodging of the English, and, after delivering my message and conversing with him a little while, I left him to see Wellington, the black, and go in search of news. I learned from Khosrô Effendi, the government secretary, that one of Ibrahim’s regiments, sent to quell the rising in Hasbéyah and Rashéyah, had been compelled, by the superior numbers of the insurgents, to shut themselves up in the castle, and were there closely besieged, expecting a reinforcement from Damascus to their relief.[32]
Towards Jerusalem some manifestations of rising had been made, and nearer to Jôon some bodies of insurgents, in their way from different villages to join the main body in Rashéyah and the Horàn, had, in passing Btedýn, the Emir Beshýr’s residence, uttered loud and reviling menaces and cries. The Emir, being deprived of arms to put his dependants in a state of defence, had sent to Beyrout to demand 400 muskets, and had induced the Patriarch of the Maronite Christians to assemble some of the chief shaykhs, and to bind them with an oath not to join the Druzes. He had despatched couriers to the Metoualy country (the mountains running parallel with the sea from Sayda to Acre, and in some measure a continuation of Mount Lebanon), calling on the chieftains to hold their allegiance to Ibrahim Pasha. But it was considered that all these were measures of little use, should the Christians and Metoualis see a chance of expelling their oppressors. The inhabitants of the peaceable villages kept themselves in readiness on the first alarm to fly to the towns for security. Looking, however, dispassionately at the probabilities of success between the rival parties, it is not likely, considering that the Egyptian satrap holds all the strong places, that the Druzes can do anything more than carry on a harassing warfare, unless powerful aid comes from without, and ships of war blockade Acre, Beyrout, and the other ports.[33]
I saw Wellington: his case presented little hope. Dysentery had supervened, and, feeble as he already was, I judged it impossible that he could survive.
Sunday, June 24.—Mr. M. came up, and remained, I forget whether two or three days. He told me he was of Trinity College, Cambridge, but had been a long time abroad. Lady Hester said of him, “I like to converse with such people as are what you call country squires—one hears a great many anecdotes from them. Sometimes he makes very sensible remarks, and sometimes he is very strange. He asked me if I knew the Emir Beshýr; and, when I was giving him some information about him, all of a sudden he asked me if I liked dancing when I lived in England. He goes from one thing to another, like a dog in a fair:” (I laughed):—“yes, doctor, just like a dog that goes from one booth to another, sniffing here and there, and stealing gingerbread nuts. When he sat with me in the evening, he was constantly turning his head to the window, which was open, as if he thought somebody was coming in that way.”
Tuesday, June 26.—Mr. M. went away.
Wednesday, June 27.—A letter came from two more travellers, dated from the quarantine ground, where the black lay ill. Colonel Hazeta, the writer, informed her ladyship that he had travelled overland from Calcutta, and was commissioned to deliver to her a letter from her nephew, Colonel T. Taylor; but he alleged the impossibility of being the bearer of it himself, owing to the necessity he was under of proceeding onward to Beyrout, and performing his quarantine there. He was accompanied by Dr. Mill.
Thursday, June 28.—I received a note, acquainting me with the death of Wellington, and I rode down to inform myself of the circumstances of his end. By Signor Lapi’s care he was decently interred in the Catholic burial-ground at Sayda. What religion he was of I never heard him say; but he was what is called a pious youth, and told me his mother had brought him up in the practice of virtue and godliness; and, from what I saw of him, I believe he spoke truly; for he was of great singleness of mind, artless, ingenuous, and grateful to the duke, his master, and to Lady Hester, for the kindnesses they had shown him. But who shall console his poor mother!
I collected a little news, from which the Pasha’s affairs seemed to wear a better aspect. He had marched, it was said, with two regiments and some field-pieces against the rebels at Hasbéyah, and had sacked the place. The Horàn, it was reported, was also reduced to obedience.
Friday, June 29.—To-day Lady Hester wrote a letter to Lord Palmerston, in answer to one she had received from him, which I shall first transcribe.