man unknown was thus called off--to the very
considerable anger of Lord Dorchester. Lord Pierrepont wrote offering to
come to her aid, by representing to her father the hardship he was
inflicting by endeavouring to force her inclination. He went so far as
to say that he would assist her to marry a man of moderate means, if
there were such an one in her heart. She was little used to sympathy,
and the proposal affected her deeply. "The generosity and goodness of
this letter wholly determines my softest inclinations on your side," she
wrote with unusual gentleness to Montagu on a Thursday night in August.
"You are in the wrong to suspect me of artifice; plainly showing me the
kindness of your heart (if you have any there for me) is the surest way
to touch mine, and I am at this minute more inclined to speak tenderly
to you than ever I was in my life--so much inclined I will say nothing.
I could wish you would leave England, but I know not how to object to
anything that pleases you. In this minute I have no will that does not
agree with yours."

There is a reference in the letter just printed to a meeting of Lady
Anne and Montagu, but how often they saw each other at this time there
is no knowing.

However, it must have been in August that, failing the consent of Lord
Dorchester to their marriage, they made up their minds to elope. From
whom the suggestion first came, who can say? Let it be hoped for the
sake of maiden modesty it came from Montagu. What drove them to this
step may well have been the fear that Lord Dorchester might, to all
intents and purposes, imprison his daughter on one of his estates. Even
at the eleventh hour, Lady Mary was determined that there should be no
misunderstanding between her and her _fiance_. She wrote to him saying
that if she came to him in this way, she would come to him without a
portion. To this part of her letter he vouchsafed no reply, so she again
touched upon the matter.

"You made no reply to one part of my letter concerning my fortune. I am
afraid you flatter yourself that my F. [father] may be at length
reconciled and brought to reasonable terms. I am convinced, by what I
have often heard him say, speaking of other cases like this, he never
will. The fortune he has engaged to give with me, was settled on my B.
[brother]'s marriage, on my sister and on myself; but in such a manner,
that it was left in his power to give it all to either of us, or divide
as he thought fit. He h