disposition, and the terms in which they express themselves tiennent
de la frenesie, et de l'entousiasme. Lady Albemarle, who is not a
wise woman, certainly, was at Lady Gower's the other evening, and
was regretting only that Charles had not been consumed in the Fire,
instead of the linnets. I am glad it was no worse. I think your
fears about the rebuilding of the House are not so well founded as
your satisfaction might be, that you had not been drawn in to insure
it. I think that you are more obliged to what he thinks upon that
subject (for he said that he did not believe in fire) than to your
own prudence. I am in daily expectation of the arrival of these late
sufferers at Holl[an]d H(ouse). I wish them all arrived there, I
own, and that they may stay there, and that there may be no real
sufferers by the fire, which there would be if any workmen had begun
to rebuild the House. That would be a case of true compassion.

You desire me to tell you something of Hare and Storer,(99) &c.
Storer, the Bon ton, is still at Lord Craven's. I supped with the
Mauvais ton at Harry St. John's last night. I do not dislike him: he
does not seem to be at all deficient in understanding, and has
besides de la bonne plaisanterie. Hare is in town, and, if I was to
credit his own insinuations, upon the point of bringing his affair
to a conclusion. But I think that he prepares the world too much for
some change in his condition, for he drives about in an old chariot
of Foley's,(100) as I am told, with a servant of his own in livery;
and this occasions so much speculation, that his great secret diu
celari non potest. I would advise him to conclude as soon as he can
this business; sans cela la machine sera d'erangee; elle ne peut
aller jusques au printemps, cela est sur.

The Duke of Buccleugh has said nothing to us as yet about our