“Jekyl told me--in strict confidence, remember--that M. did not stand well with his Court, and that there would be nothing wonderful in the Czar's refusing his leave for the marriage. What you ought to do in that case I cannot conceive; a convent, I suppose, would be the only thing. After all, it might probably have been as well if you had taken poor George. The estate is still a good one, and he has some amiable points in his character, and he certainly loved you. I never told you the thousand confessions he made me, nor his entreaties for my intercession, but there is no harm now in letting you hear them. It is, however, impossible to say with whom one could live happily! George begged of me to send him every letter you wrote to me, and of course you can use the knowledge of the fact at your discretion. “Now, for two little commissions, my dear Kate, and I have done. I want you to get me a case of Tokay from the Teleki estate--mind, not Pain's, which, his Eminence says, wants the oily flavor. Some of the archdukes will manage this for you. I 'm certain your long eyelashes have got further than this already. The second is to send me a haunch of Bohemian venison,--Schwartenschild's, if possible. The Cardinal says that fat is become as scarce as true piety, and that a well- fed buck is as rare as a good Christian! “Are they wearing their corsages pointed at the back?----not that I care, dearest, for I am above such vanities, but Célestine wishes to know. When you receive the St. Ursula, keep her in your own room, and with her face to the west; and so good-by, and, with many prayers, believe me, “Affectionately yours, “THEODOSIA, “Late Hester Onslow. “Could you, by any chance, send me a good miniature of yourself?----perhaps you guess for what purpose. Haselquist's oil picture is too large for what I want; and, besides, is really not like you. Even with all its imperfections his Eminence sits looking at it for hours of an evening, and says he can scarcely fancy anything lovelier. I do not ask after Madame de H., for I hate the woman. His Eminence has told me such things of her! But of course you can only make the best of it for the present, and get on as well as you can. “D'Esmonde tells me that Frank is a fine boy, and very good- looking, but fearfully dissipated, but I suppose the service is like the Life Guards with us--and what can one expect? _À propos_ to this, Norwood has written to me twice some inexplicable nonsense about you, which I have not replied to. What does he mean by 'treating a flirt like a flounce' Jekyl says that the police have stopped his passport, or he should have been after you to Vienna. This is quite unintelligible to me, and I don't know why I repeat it.”