In the course of the same year (1820) Augusta, having failed to induce Lady Byron to make a definite statement as to her intentions with regard to the Leigh children, urged Byron to intercede with his wife in their interests. He accordingly wrote several times to Lady Byron, asking her to be kind to Augusta--in other words, to make some provision for her children. It seemed, under all circumstances, a strange request to make, but Byron's reasons were sound. In accordance with the restrictions imposed by his marriage settlement, the available portion of the funds would revert to Lady Byron in the event of his predeceasing her. Lady Byron at first made no promise to befriend Augusta's children; but later she wrote to say that the past would not prevent her from befriending Augusta Leigh and her children 'in any future circumstances which may call for my assistance.' In thanking Lady Byron for this promise, Byron writes: 'As to Augusta * * * *, whatever she is, or may have been, _you_ have never had reason to complain of her; on the contrary, you are not aware of the obligations under which you have been to her. Her life and mine--and yours and mine--were two things perfectly distinct from each other; when one ceased the other began, and now both are closed.' Lord Lovelace seeks to make much out of that statement, and says in 'Astarte': 'It is evident, from the allusion in this letter, that Byron had become thoroughly aware of the extent of Lady Byron's information, and did not wish that she should be misled. He probably may have heard from Augusta herself that she had admitted her own guilt, together with his, to Lady Byron.'