“As I purpose leaving England in a few days, it will pain me very much to depart without personally wishing you farewell; and though I am in all the fever of packing up, I will make time to receive a visit from you, if you can call any day this week between eleven o’clock in the fore-noon, or after nine in the evening. Count d’Orsay was called to Paris so suddenly, that he had not time to take leave of any of his friends, but he charged me to say a thousand kind things to you.”
GARDEN VIEW OF GORE HOUSE
[TO FACE PAGE 280
The following from Disraeli reached her in Paris:—
25th April 1849.
“We returned to town on the 16th, and a few days after, I called at Gore House, but you were gone. It was a pang; for though absorbing duties of my life have prevented me of late from passing as much time under that roof as it was once my happiness and good fortune through your kindness to do; you are well assured, that my heart never changed for an instant to its inmates and that I invariably entertained for them the same interest and affection.
“Had I been aware of your intentions, I would have come up to town earlier, and specially to have said ‘Adieu!’ mournful as that is.
“I thought I should never pay another visit to Paris, but I have now an object in doing so. All the world here will miss you very much, and the charm with which you invested existence; but for your own happiness, I am persuaded you have acted wisely. Every now and then, in this life, we require a great change; it wonderfully revives the sense of existence. I envy you; pray, if possible, let me sometimes hear from you.”
Thackeray writes to Mrs Brookfield:—