the　first　and　only　person　who　ever　lived　with　her。　Her　disinterestedness；　too；　has　been　equal　to　her　fidelity。　When　she　first　came　to　me　it　was　upon　L100　a　year。　That　sum　was　afterwards　raised　to　L400　and　finally　to　L1000；　but　when　my　debts　made　it　necessary　for　me　to　sacrifice　a　great　part　of　my　income；　Madame　St。　Laurent　insisted　upon　again　returning　to　her　income　of　L400　a　year。　If　Madame　St。　Laurent　is　to　return　to　live　amongst　her　friends；　it　must　be　in　such　a　state　of　independence　as　to　command　their　respect。　I　shall　not　require　very　much；　but　a　certain　number　of　servants　and　a　carriage　are　essentials。〃　As　to　his　own　settlement；　the　Duke　observed　that　he　would　expect　the　Duke　of　York's　marriage　to　be　considered　the　precedent。　〃That；〃　he　said；　〃was　a　marriage　for　the　succession；　and　L25；000　for　income　was　settled；　in　addition　to　all　his　other　income；　purely　on　that　account。　I　shall　be　contented　with　the　same　arrangement；　without　making　any　demands　grounded　on　the　difference　of　the　value　of　money　in　1792　and　at　present。　As　for　the　payment　of　my　debts；〃　the　Duke　concluded；　〃I　don't　call　them　great。　The　nation；　on　the　contrary；　is　greatly　my　debtor。〃　Here　a　clock　struck；　and　seemed　to　remind　the　Duke　that　he　had　an　appointment；　he　rose；　and　Mr。　Creevey　left　him。
  Who　could　keep　such　a　communication　secret？　Certainly　not　Mr。　Creevey。　He　hurried　off　to　tell　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　who　was　very　much　amused；　and　he　wrote　a　long　account　of　it　to　Lord　Sefton；　who　received　the　letter　〃very　apropos；〃　while　a　surgeon　was　sounding　his　bladder　to　ascertain　whether　he　had　a　stone。　〃I　never　saw　a　fellow　more　astonished　than　he　was；〃　wrote　Lord　Sefton　in　his　reply；　〃at　seeing　me　laugh　as　soon　as　the　operation　was　over。　Nothing　could　be　more　first…rate　than　the　royal　Edward's　ingenuousness。　One　does　not　know　which　to　admire　mostthe　delicacy　of　his　attachment　to　Madame　St。　Laurent；　the　refinement　of　his　sentiments　towards　the　Duke　of　Clarence；　or　his　own　perfect　disinterestedness　in　pecuniary　matters。〃
  As　it　turned　out；　both　the　brothers　decided　to　marry。　The　Duke　of　Kent；　selecting　the　Princess　of　Saxe…Coburg　in　preference　to　the　Princess　of　Baden；　was　united　to　her　on　May　29；　1818。　On　June　11；　the　Duke　of　Clarence　followed　suit　with　a　daughter　of　the　Duke　of　Saxe…Meiningen。　But　they　were　disappointed　in　their　financial　expectations；　for　though　the　Government　brought　forward　proposals　to　increase　their　allowances；　together　with　that　of　the　Duke　of　Cumberland；　the　motions　were　defeated　in　the　House　of　Commons。　At　this　the　Duke　of　Wellington　was　not　surprised。　〃By　God！〃　he　said；　〃there　is　a　great　deal　to　be　said　about　that。　They　are　the　damnedest　millstones　about　the　necks　of　any　Government　that　can　be　imagined。　They　have　insultedPERSONALLY　insultedtwo…thirds　of　the　gentlemen　of　England；　and　how　can　it　be　wondered　at　that　they　take　their　revenge　upon　them　in　the　House　of　Commons？　It　is　their　only　opportunity；　and　I　think；　by　God！　they　are　quite　right　to　use　it。〃　Eventually；　however；　Parliament　increased　the　Duke　of　Kent's　annuity　by　L6000。　The　subsequent　history　of　Madame　St。　Laurent　has　not　transpired。
  IV
  The　new　Duchess　of　Kent；　Victoria　Mary　Louisa；　was　a　daughter　of　Francis；　Duke　of　Saxe…Coburg…Saalfeld；　and　a　sister　of　Prince　Leopold。　The　family　was　an　ancient　one；　being　a　branch　of　the　great　House　of　Wettin；　which　since　the　eleventh　century　had　ruled　over　the　March　of　Meissen　on　the　Elbe。　In　the　fifteenth　century　the　whole　possessions　of　the　House　had　been　divided　between　the　Albertine　and　Ernestine　branches：　from　the　former　descended　the　electors　and　kings　of　Saxony；　the　latter；　ruling　over　Thuringia；　became　further　subdivided　into　five　branches；　of　which　the　duchy　of　Saxe…Coburg　was　one。　This　principality　was　very　small；　containing　about　60；000　inhabitants；　but　it　enjoyed　independent　and　sovereign　rights。　During　the　disturbed　years　which　followed　the　French　Revolution；　its　affairs　became　terribly　involved。　The　Duke　was　extravagant；　and　kept　open　house　for　the　swarms　of　refugees；　who　fled　eastward　over　Germany　as　the　French　power　advanced。　Among　these　was　the　Prince　of　Leiningen；　an　elderly　beau；　whose　domains　on　the　Moselle　had　been　seized　by　the　French；　but　who　was　granted　in　compensation　the　territory　of　Amorbach　in　Lower　Franconia。　In　1803　he　married　the　Princess　Victoria；　at　that　time　seventeen　years　of　age。　Three　years　later　Duke　Francis　died　a　ruined　man。　The　Napoleonic　harrow　passed　over　Saxe…Coburg。　The　duchy　was　seized　by　the　French；　and　the　ducal　family　were　reduced　to　beggary；　almost　to　starvation。　At　the　same　time　the　little　principality　of　Amorbach　was　devastated　by　the　French；　Russian；　and　Austrian　armies；　marching　and　counter…marching　across　it。　For　years　there　was　hardly　a　cow　in　the　country；　nor　enough　grass　to　feed　a　flock　of　geese。　Such　was　the　desperate　plight　of　the　family　which；　a　generation　later；　was　to　have　gained　a　foothold　in　half　the　reigning　Houses　of　Europe。　The　Napoleonic　harrow　had　indeed　done　its　work；　the　seed　was　planted；　and　the　crop　would　have　surprised　Napoleon。　Prince　Leopold；　thrown　upon　his　own　resources　at　fifteen；　made　a　career　for　himself　and　married　the　heiress　of　England。　The　Princess　of　Leiningen；　struggling　at　Amorbach　with　poverty；　military　requisitions；　and　a　futile　husband；　developed　an　independence　of　character　and　a　tenacity　of　purpose　which　were　to　prove　useful　in　very　different　circumstances。　In　1814；　her　husband　died；　leaving　her　with　two　children　and　the　regency　of　the　principality。　After　her　brother's　marriage　with　the　Princess　Charlotte；　it　was　proposed　that　she　should　marry　the　Duke　of　Kent；　but　she　declined；　on　the　ground　that　the　guardianship　of　her　children　and　the　management　of　her　domains　made　other　ties　undesirable。　The　Princess　Charlotte's　death；　however；　altered　the　case；　and　when　the　Duke　of　Kent　renewed　his　offer；　she　accepted　it。　She　was　thirty…two　years　oldshort；　stout；　with　brown　eyes　and　hair；　and　rosy　cheeks；　cheerful　and　voluble；　and　gorgeously　attired　in　rustling　silks　and　bright　velvets。
  She　was　certainly　fortunate　in　her　contented　disposition；　for　she　was　fated；　all　through　her　life；　to　have　much　to　put　up　with。　Her　second　marriage；　with　its　dubious　prospects；　seemed　at　first　to　be　chiefly　a　source　of　difficulties　and　discomforts。　The　Duke；　declaring　that　he　was　still　too　poor　to　live　in　England；　moved　about　with　uneasy　precision　through　Belgium　and　Germany；　attending　parades　and　inspecting　barracks　in　a　neat　military　cap；　while　the　English　notabilities　looked　askance；　and　the　Duke　of　Wellington　dubbed　him　the　Corporal。　〃God　damme！〃　he　exclaimed　to　Mr。　Creevey；　〃d'ye　know　what　his　sisters　call　him？　By　God！　they　call　him　Joseph　Surface！〃　At　Valenciennes；　where　there　was　a　review　and　a　great　dinner；　the　Duchess　arrived　with　an　old　and　ugly　lady…in…waiting；　and　the　Duke　of　Wellington　found　himself　in　a　difficulty。　〃Who　the　devil　is　to　take　out　the　maid　of　honour？〃　he　kept　asking；　but　at　last　he　thought　of　a　solution。　〃Damme；　Freemantle；　find　out　the　mayor　and　let　him　do　it。〃　So　the　Mayor　of　Valenciennes　was　brought　up　for　the　purpose；　andso　we　learn　from　Mr。　Creevey〃a　capital　figure　he　was。〃　A　few　days　later；　at　Brussels；　Mr。　Creevey　himself　had　an　unfortunate　experience。　A　military　school　was　to　be　inspectedbefore　breakfast。　The　company　assembled；　everything　was　highly　satisfactory；　but　the　Duke　of　Kent　continued　for　so　long　examining　every　detail　and　asking　meticulous　question　after　meticulous　question；　that　Mr。　Creevey　at　last　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and　whispered　to　his　neighbour　that　he　was　damned　hungry。　The　Duke　of　Wellington　heard　him；　and　was　delighted。　〃I　recommend　you；〃　he　said；　〃whenever　you　start　with　the　royal　family　in　a　morning；　and　particularly　with　THE　CORPORAL；　always　to　breakfast　first。〃　He　and　his　staff；　it　turned　out；　had　taken　that　precaution；　and　the　great　man　amused　himself；　while　the　stream　of　royal　inquiries　poured　on；　by　pointing　at　Mr。　Creevey　from　time　to　time　with　the　remark；　〃Voila　le　monsieur　qui　n'a　pas　dejeune！〃
  Settled　down　at　last　at　Amorbach；　the　time　hung　heavily　on　the　Duke's　hands。　The　establishment　was　small；　the　country　was　impoverished；　even　clock…making　grew　tedious　at　last。　He　broodedfor　in　spite　of　his　piety　the　Duke　was　not　without　a　vein　of　superstitionover　the　prophecy　of　a　gipsy　at　Gibraltar　who　told　him　that　he　was　to　have　many　losses　and　crosses；　that　he　was　to　die　in　happiness；　and　that　his　only　child　was　to　be　a　great　queen。　Before　long　it　became　clear　that　a　child　was　to　be　expected：　the　Duke　decided　that　it　should　be　born　in　England。　Funds　were　lacking　for　the　journey；　but　his　determination　was　not　to　be　set　aside。　Come　what　might；　he　declared；　his　child　must　be　English…born。　A　carriage　was　hired；　and　the　Duke　himself　mounted　the　box。　Inside　were　the　Duchess；　her　daughter　Feodora；　a　girl　of　fourteen；　with　maids；　nurses；　lap…dogs；　and　canaries。　Off　they　drovethrough　Germany；　through　France：　bad　roads；　cheap　inns；　were　nothing　to　the　rigorous　Duke　and　the　equable；　abundant　Duchess。　The　Channel　was　crossed；　London　was　reached　in　safety。　The　authorities　provided　a　set　of　rooms　in　Kensington　Palace；　and　there；　on　May　24；　1819；　a　female　infant　was　born。
  CHAPTER　II。　CHILDHOOD
  I
  The　child　wh