I want you to visit me as a friend, and stay a long time. There is nobody with me, as I told you before, but Sir Thomas and old Lady Ashby; but you needn't mind them—they'll trouble us but little with their company; and you shall have a room to yourself, whenever you like to retire to it, and plenty of books to read when my company is not sufficiently amusing. I forget whether you like babies; if you do, you may have the pleasure of seeing mine. . .the most charming child in the world, no doubt. . .and all the more so, that I am not troubled with nursing it—I was determined I wouldn't be bothered with that—Unfortunately it is a girl, and Sir Thomas has never forgiven me; but however, if you will only come, I promise you shall be its governess as soon as it can speak, and you shall bring it up in the way it should go, and make a better woman of it than its mamma;—and you shall see my poodle too, a splendid little charmer imported from Paris, and two fine Italian paintings of great value. . .I forget the artist. . .doubtless you will be able to discover prodigious beauties in them, which you must point out to me, as I only admire by hearsay;. . .and many elegant curiosities besides, which I pur-
