The works of W E Henley Author:William Ernest Henley Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ' PIPPIN' ON September 23, 1814, the amiable and lovely Annabella M communicated to her dearest Emily an ' event that affords me the best prospect of happines... more »s,' in the following terms :—' I am engaged to marry Lord B . Convinced by intimate knowledge and the deepest investigation that he merits my highest esteem, whilst he possesses my strongest affection, I feel myself honoured in the choice; and I expect, of your candour and kindness, that you will rely more on the opinion which we have had reason to form, than on the vague prejudices of the world.' On October 1st, writing to Colonel D : ' After an intimate, and not merely a recent knowledge,' Miss Annabella says, ' of his (Lord B 's) character, with the best opportunities of judging his heart and dispositions, I have yielded to his sincere andconstant attachment, convinced that he is fully deserving of mine, and hoping to be successful in my endeavours to make him happy. I have reason to believe that we understand one another particularly well, and though I do not pretend to equal, I may be capable of appreciating his merits.' A few days after, in answer, apparently, to her dearest E., 'It is not,' the young thing says—' It is not in the great world that Lord B 's true character must be sought. But ask of those nearest to him—of the unhappy whom he has consoled, of the poor whom he has blessed, of the dependants to whom he is the best of masters. ... I cannot reproach myself for having resisted my own wishes as well as his, until thoroughly convinced that their fulfilment would produce mutual happiness. ... I have a calm and deep security—a confidence in God and man.' Her friends and relations, she goes on to say, ' concur in thinking my views of happiness as fair as this world can promise ; but in t...« less