ied to such a
man, were it not that all the world would know how closely
she is connected with my own darling boys!

Then we took her off to Koenigsgraaf; and such a time as
I had with her! She would write letters to this wretch,
and contrived to receive one. I did stop that, but you
cannot conceive what a life she led me. Of course I have
felt from the first that she would be divided from her
brothers, because one never knows how early bad morals may
be inculcated! Then her papa came, and Hampstead,--who in
all this has encouraged his sister. The young man is his
friend. After this who will say that any nobleman ought to
call himself what they call a Liberal? Then we came home;
and what do you think has happened? Hampstead has taken
his sister to live with him at Hendon, next door, as you
may say, to the Post Office clerk, where the young man
has made himself thoroughly at home;--and Kingsbury has
permitted it! Oh, Geraldine, that is the worst of it! Am I
not justified in declaring that I have divorced them from
my heart?

You can hardly feel as I do, you, whose son fills so well
that position which an eldest son ought to fill! Here
am I with my darlings, not only under a shade, but with
this disgrace before them which they will never be able
altogether to get rid of. I can divorce Hampstead and his
sister from my heart; but they will still be in some sort
brother and sister to my poor boys. How am I to teach them
to respect their elder brother, who I suppose must in
course of time become Head of the House, when he is hand
and glove with a dreadful young man such as that! Am I not
justified in declaring that no communication shall be kept
up between the two families? If she marries the man she
will of course drop the name; but yet all the world will
know because of the title. As for him, I am afraid that
there is no hope;--although it is odd that the second son
does so very often come to the title. If you look into it
you will find that the second brother has almost a better
chance than the elder,--although I am sure that nothing of
the kind will ever happen to dear Hautboy. But he knows
how to live in that state of life to which it has pleased
God to call him! Do write to me at once, and tell me what
I ought to do with a due regard to the position to which I
have been called upon to fill