of incontestable superiority. But you must burn this confession,
or my poor effigy will blaze for it. I must tell you a little of
our proceedings, as they all relate to these people of a
thousand.

M. d'Arblay came from the melancholy sight of departing Norbury
to Mickleham, and with an air the most triste, and a sound of
voice quite dejected, as I learn from Susanna for I was in my
heroics, and could not appear till the last half hour. A headache
prevented my waiting upon Madame de Stal that day, and obliged me
to retreat soon after nine o'clock in the evening, and my douce
compagne would not let me retreat alone. We had only robed
ourselves in looser drapery, when a violent ringing at the door
startled us; we listened, and heard the voice of M. d'Arblay, and
Jerry answering, "They're gone to bed." "Comment? What?" cried
he: "C'est impossible! what you say?" Jerry then, to show his
new education in this new colony, said "All‚e couch‚e!" It rained
furiously, and we were quite grieved, but there was no help. He
left a book for "Mlle. Burnet," and word that Madame de Stael
could not come on account of the bad weather. M. Ferdinand was
with him and has bewailed the disaster
Page 50

and M. Sicard says he accompanied them till he was quite wet
through his redingote; but this enchanting M. d'Arblay will
murmur at nothing.

The next day they all came, just as we had dined, for a morning
visit,--Madame de Stael, M. Talleyrand, M. Sicard, and M.
d'Arblay; the latter then made "insistance" upon commencing my