Prince Pückler Muskau, in the mean time, was unwilling to leave Sayda without a positive assurance from Lady Hester Stanhope that she would see him within a short time. Towards sunset, another estafette came, with a second letter from him, which, however, she did not suffer me to see. She merely said, “Doctor, the Prince won’t be put off; he renews his solicitations, and consents to go to a distance, and return again at the end of a week or ten days: so we must write him another letter.” This was as follows:
Lady Hester Stanhope to the Prince of Pückler Muskau.
Jôon, March 21, 1838.
I find your highness to be a great philosopher, but nevertheless a very unreasonable man. Is your object, in coming here, to laugh at a poor creature, reduced by sickness to skin and bone, who has lost half her sight and all her teeth, or is it to hear true philosophy? Alas, at this moment, a terrible cough puts it out of my power even to speak during the greater part of the twenty-four hours. But I will not be stubborn; and, if you will consent to put off your visit for eight or ten days, I will receive you then, even if my health should be no better, that you may fulfil the object of your visit. However, I hope, as the fine weather is at hand, and as I now begin to get a little sleep, which I have not done for many months past, that I shall be able to converse with you for some hours at a time.
It appears that you beg me to give you the history of Hafânah, if it is but piecemeal; but it is too long a one to put down on paper.[2]
If you believe me, it is with regret that I am obliged to cross you; but I am convinced you would be the last man not to be sorry, if, from a degree of enthusiasm natural to me, which would be increased in finding in you sentiments analogous to my own, I should become excited, and fall anew into sufferings from which I am but just recovering.
Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, will be the days most propitious for our first meeting: I should prefer Sunday or Thursday, according to the calculation I have made of your star and your character: so, Prince, depart in peace; only, when you return, write a little before, to apprize me of it.
Hester Lucy Stanhope.
March 22.—The above letter was despatched by the estafette early in the morning, in the expectation that it would reach the Prince time enough to enable him to set off for Beyrout the same day. It was settled between Lady Hester and myself, that, having to meet Mr. Forster and Mr. Knox, I should afterwards call on the Prince. “Then, doctor,” said Lady Hester, “you will be enabled to give me a description of his person, look, manners, &c.” So anxious was she that I should not miss him, that her manservant was at my door at sunrise, to see that I did not oversleep myself, although it was past three o’clock in the morning before I had retired to bed. Fatigue and want of rest were thoughts that never crossed her active mind, or, if they did, she pretended to forget them. Half an hour after sunrise I was on horseback, and on my road to Sayda.