not forget to tell you how glad I was a few days ago to read in the papers, that Lady Charlotte Lennox had been delivered of a son at Dover Castle! How pleased should I have been, could I have stood in some sly corner when the Duchess first received the news!-just when she was on the pinnacle of her glory, hearing the delightful intelligence that a grandson! a future Duke of Richmond was born.* But I must conclude.-My love to all my old fellowservants.

"M. D'AMOUR."

The Duchess, by some means, got to hear of the letter, and desired the maid to let her see it. Her Grace, as I was informed, was much amused by its contents. She read it at various times to the company; and though she lent it the maid back again that all might hear it in the steward's room, yet she desired it might be returned to her own possession. But, as the poet says―

"Pleasures are like poppies spread,

We seize the flower-the bloom is shed;"

Although I felt thus comfortable for the first few weeks of my establishment at Woodhall; and notwithstanding I made a parade of my means of content to my quondam friends at Gordon Castle, yet my gentleman's life, after a while, grew sadly

*Lady Charlotte Lennox was the daughter of the Duchess of Gordon. She has been already several times mentioned in this narrative. The son to which she then gave birth is now the Duke of Richmond.

wearisome. Winter time came on, and when I could do nothing in the garden, it was exceedingly tiresome to have nothing better to do than to sit in the house, or lounge from place to place. For a considerable time I forbore saying any thing to my wife, for fear of making her uneasy; and when she afterwards found out my real state of mind, I discovered also, at the same time, that she had been exactly in the same predicament, and had avoided telling me for the same reason.

In this sort of monotonous way, with much difficulty, we got over a period of fourteen or fifteen months; but in all my life, I can truly say, I never felt so much regret at any one thing as I did at having set up gentleman. And, indeed, when I came to consider the subject, both at the time and afterwards, I did not wonder that this should have been the case; for I had utterly mistaken the meaning of the term. I had foolishly thought that a gentleman was a man with nothing to do.

I turned over many plans in my mind, in order to find out some way of getting rid of my ennui. This, experience convinced me, could only be done by my having some rational and active employment. And no other way appeared so feasible as that I should purchase a vessel and employ myself in conveying coals on the Chesterfield canal. At last, having considered the subject well over, my wife and I agreed that we would try the experiment. Accordingly I went over to Retford and ordered a boat to be built. In a short time the building of

R

the vessel was commenced, and I went once or twice over to see the work.

While we were forming our plans, however, fate was forming hers. One morning when we awoke from sleep, my wife told me she had had a very remarkable dream. I asked her if it was a good one? "Yes," she replied, "it is certainly a good one, and although I do not recollect the distinct particulars, I feel assured it bodes something good which will befall us; we shall again be happy." During the afternoon of the same day, I received a franked letter by post. Opening it, not without emotion, I found it was from the Duchess of Gordon, and its purport was to inform me that "the situation I had held in her Grace's service was again vacant, and ready for me if I chose to accept it!!" I was to send my answer by return of post.

As soon as I had read the letter, I gave it to my wife, saying, "here is your dream, read it." For myself, giving way to the excessive feeling caused in my mind by the joyous circumstances, I believe I had well-nigh suffered the balance of my understanding to be overthrown. I never, either before or since, experienced such an effect of extreme excitation. The joy became dreadful! As soon as I had recovered myself a little, I said, "Well, I'll go, and you shall go too, and you shall be town-houseGet me my lightest pair of shoes out directly, and hand me my nankeen small-clothes, they will be light, I must run all the way to Sheffield, I may be too late for the post."

keeper.

Having dressed myself with all speed possible, I started, intending to write the answer to the Duchess when I got to Sheffield. The road I had to pass being very uneven, I ran down all the hills, and as much up the opposite side as possible. I believe many who saw me thought I was running a race ; and, in fact, so I was, and won it too, as was said of John Gilpin. When I arrived at Sheffield, I made directly for the house of my wife's brother, who lived in Cheney Row, where, procuring pen, ink, and paper, I wrote my reply to the Duchess.

Fearing lest the letter should fail, I wrote one also to the ladies' maid; for I would not have had any disaster to have come across my path at that moment for all the world; so anxious was I to leave off the life of a gentleman. In fact, I heartily prayed Almighty God that such a disaster might never again befall me.

CHAP. XVII.

I ARRIVE in London -Interview with the Duchess. Meeting with fellow-servants at Gordon Castle. Black swine. My wife becomes town housekeeper.— Cause of final separation from the Duchess's establishment.-Settlement at Retford.-Commenee the coal trade. My success.-Cause of my giving it up after following it seven years.-Removal to Shef. field. Open an eating house. Finally give up all business.Concluding reflections on my history.

""Tis midnight, Charles,

Pary thee to bed."

HENRY VII.

When I

In a few days I took coach for London. arrived at St. James's Square, the family were on the eve of departure for the north. The morning after my arrival, I was about to present myself to the Duchess; Lady Susan first saw me, and exclaimed, (her Grace being in an adjoining room) Mamma, Mr. D'Amour! The Duchess immediately came in, but I was so much affected, that I could not utter one word; and after repeated efforts, I was actually under the necessity of withdrawing, merely making my obedience to her Grace.

The