"Lady Loudoun and Lord Moira called upon us on their way to town and
brought pine apples, etc." One sees them at it; and the very next
letter he writes is dated "Donington Park." Tom fairly lets himself go
over it.

"... I think it would have pleased you to see _my wife_ in one
of Lord Moira's carriages, with his servant riding after her,
and Lady Loudoun's crimson travelling-cloak round her to keep
her comfortable. It is a glorious triumph of good conduct on
both sides, and makes my heart happier and prouder than all
the best worldly connections could possibly have done. The
dear girl and I sometimes look at each other with astonishment
in our splendid room here, and she says she is quite sure it
must be all a dream."

Marble halls, in fact; but let us see how it acted upon Bessy. Shortly
after: "... I am just returned from a most delightful little tour with
Rogers, poor Bessy being too ill and too fatigued with the ceremonies
of the week to accompany us." That was to be the way of it for the
rest of their lives together. She would never go to the great houses
if she could by any means avoid it, but bore him no grudge for going
without her, and was always open-armed for his return.

Mayfield Cottage, Ashbourne, was their next harbourage; and here is a
Wheatley picture of them on their way to a dinner-party.

"We dined out to-day at the Ackroyds', neighbours of ours ...
we found, in the middle of our walk, that we were near half an
hour too early, so we set to practising country-dances in the