and I am in pain for your danger. I am far from taking ill what you say,
I never valued myself as the daughter of----, and ever despised those
that esteemed me on that account. With pleasure I could barter all that,
and change to be any country gentleman's daughter that would have reason
enough to make happiness in privacy. My letter is too long. I beg your
pardon. You may see by the situation of my affairs 'tis without design."


The marriage with the gentleman 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