way of showing his expectation of a change, by delivering her a long paper of counsels for her guidance, the chief object of which was to warn her against holding such frequent conversations with Mercy.  She apparently thought that the writer’s desire was to remove the embassador from her confidence that he himself might occupy the vacant place, and she showed her opinion of the value of the advice by reading it to Mercy and then putting it into the fire.

Some extracts from the first letter which she wrote to her mother in 1773 will serve to give us a fair idea of her feelings at this time, both from what it does and from what it does not mention.  The intelligence which has reached her about her sister recalls to her mind her own anxiety to become a mother, her disappointment in this matter being, indeed, one of the most constant topics of lamentation in the letters of both daughter and mother, till it was removed by the birth of the princess royal.  But that is her only vexation.  In every other respect she seems perfectly contented with the course which affairs are taking; while we see how thoroughly unspoiled she is both in the warmth of the affection with which she speaks of her family and greets the little memorials of home which have been sent her; and still more in the continuance of her acts of charity, and in her design that her benevolence should be unknown.

“I hear that the queen[4] is expecting to be confined.  I hope her child will be a son.  When shall I be able to say the same of myself?  They tell me, too, that the grand duke[5] and his wife are going into Spain.  I greatly wish that they would conceive a dread of the sea-voyage, and take this place in their way.  The journey would be a little longer; but they would be well received here, for my brother is very highly thought of; and, besides, I am somewhat jealous at being the only one of my family unacquainted with my sister-in-law.

“The pictures of my little brothers which you have sent me have given me great pleasure.  I have had them set in a ring, and wear it every day.  Those who have seen my brothers at Vienna pronounce the pictures very like, and every one thinks them very good-looking.  New-year’s-day here is a day of a great crowd and grand ceremony.  There was nothing either to blame or to praise in the degree in which I adopted my dear mamma’s advice.  The Favorite came to pay her respects to me at a moment when my apartment was very full It was impossible for me to address myself to every one separately, so I spoke to the whole company in a body; and I have reason to believe that both the Favorite and her sister, who is her principal adviser, were pleased; though I have also reason to believe that, two days afterward, M. d’Aiguillon tried to persuade them that they had been ill-treated.  As for the minister himself, he has never complained of me, and, indeed, I have always been careful to treat him equally well with the rest of his colleagues.