d causes of the separation, it affords collateral
evidence bearing strictly upon the point of the credibility of the charge
now in question:--

'The separation of Lord and Lady Byron astonished the world, which
believed him a reformed man as to his habits, and a becalmed man as to
his remorses. He had written nothing that appeared after his marriage
till the famous "Fare thee well," which had the power of compelling those
to pity the writer who were not well aware that he was not the unhappy
person he affected to be. Lady Byron's misery was whispered soon after
her marriage and his ill usage, but no word transpired, no sign escaped,
from her. She gave birth, shortly, to a daughter; and when she went, as
soon as she was recovered, on a visit to her father's, taking her little
Ada with her, no one knew that it was to return to her lord no more. At
that period, a severe fit of illness had confined me to bed for two
months. I heard of Lady Byron's distress; of the pains he took to give a
harsh impression of her character to the world. I wrote to her, and
entreated her to come and let me see and hear her, if she conceived my
sympathy or counsel could be any comfort to her. She came; but what a
tale was unfolded by this interesting young creature, who had so fondly
hoped to have made a young man of genius and romance (as she supposed)
happy! They had not been an hour in the carriage which conveyed them
from the church, when, breaking into a malignant sneer, "Oh! what a dupe
you have been to your imagination! How is it possible a woman of your
sense could form the wild hope of reforming me? Many are the tears you
will have to shed ere that plan is accomplished. It is enough for me
that you are my wife for me to hate you! If you were the wife of any
other man, I own you might have charms," etc. I who listened was
astonished. "How could you go on after this," said I, "my dear? Why did
you not return to your father's?" "Because I had not a conception he was
in earnest; because I reckoned it a bad jest, and told him so,--that my
opinions of him were very different from his of himself, otherwise he
would not find me by his side. He laughed it over when he saw me appear
hurt: and I forgot what had passed, till forced to remember it. I
believe he was pleased with me, too, for a little while. I suppose it
had escaped his memory that I was his wife." But she described the
happiness they enjoyed to have been unequal a