Will you tell Miss Ridley that Mr. sent me her letter, and as I am always particularly glad to do anything she asks, I asked him to dinner forthwith and to a ball, and now we have brought him to Barrackpore, which is the only great distinction the Governor-General can show to a young writer. We have brought Mr. , Robert’s protégé too, and they seem to be very happy. Mr. is very good-looking, I think, and has brought colour and health enough to last him full three weeks, though a fortnight is the general term.
Amongst our visitors to-day we had one of the Mysore princes, the eldest son of Tippoo, who was ushered in by Colonel . He was eating pawn all the time, which is a measure of etiquette—a proof that he is an equal of the parties he visits. There is no sort of attention I should not like to pay his fallen grandeur, but I wish he would not eat pawn—it is the most horrid-smelling thing in the world. He said he thought I had not known him, when he passed George and me the day before, out riding. I
