I am perfectly horror struck, my dear Lady Holland, at the account I have received from town, of the scene at Ly. Heathcote’s. To a degree I hope & think the particulars sent me may be & are exaggerated, but I have been told that poor Ly. C[aroline] L[amb] not only wounded herself in several places, but at last was carried out by several people actually in a straight waistcoat. For her individually I should feel the greatest compassion, but when I think of what poor Lady Bessborough’s feelings must be I really cannot express my strong comiseration at what her sufferings must be. I daresay Beau[fort] will write a line himself but if he does not, you know his good heart sufficiently to judge how much he must suffer on poor Lady B[essborough’s] account. Pray let me hear from you. These tales of horror strike me I assure you with aggravated terror in the country where only imperfect reports reach one, & nothing occurs to drive away the impression that such dreadful details must make on one’s mind. In the world you have such a succession of occurrences that one event drives out another—but in the quiet of St. Leonard’s the recollection
1 Daughter of the 1st Marquess of Stafford, married Lord Worcester, afterwards 5th Duke of Beaufort. |
| THE AMAZING MARRIAGE | 155 |
