LETTER FROM THE DUCHESS OF TYRCONNEL,
ADDRESSED
"TO MY DEAR AND INTRINSICALLY ESTEEMED FRIEND, MRS. CARTWRIGHT, AT THE EPISCOPAL PALACE OF CHESTER."
Dated, Lille, August 12th, 169—
"I now most willingly take up my pen to give you, my dear Madam, some account of our voyage, and also of our journey, in fulfilment of the promise which I made in parting from you and the worthy prelate at Chester palace:—
"Well, we proceeded on our route to Bristol, where, you are aware, it was our intention to have embarked for some safe port in France; at Bristol in due course we arrived, sans accident and sans adventure of any kind. But, lo and behold, we could find no vessel destined for the fair shores of France! What was next to be done? why we set off, au dèsespoir, for Dover. When we arrived at that seaport Sir Patricius made instant inquiries for a packet, and was told that there was then only one on the station, and that too was engaged. As he was retiring from the beach who should he meet, think you? why none other than 'the unknown knight' whom we had so often encountered on the walls of Chester; this, you will freely admit, was rather somewhat extraordinary, if not marvellous, certainly. Well, my dear Mrs. Cartwright, an explanation took place, when this singular 'knight unknown' informed Sir Patricius that he himself had engaged the packet, but that it was exclusively at our service; and in the politest and most obliging manner he relinquished it to us, and was so truly chivalrous as wholly to decline a passage for himself.
"This was indeed nobly kind and generous, and we all felt it as such. At our embarkation the graceful, interesting 'knight unknown' was on the pier of Dover, and you never saw, my dear friend, with what a dignified grace this preùx chevalier handed us all on board, and how graciously he bade us 'adieu.' My dear enthusiastic Adelaide is still further convinced that he must be a prince incognito. He said, as we were about to part, 'I understand that your Grace and family are now departing on your way to Brussels.'
"I nodded assent. 'Shall we, pray, stand any chance,' I inquired, 'of seeing you, Sir, in that ancient city?'