When Mr. Howard had entirely given up the expectation of again hearing from Captain Fitzormond, he thought it a duty he owed to the child under his protection, to endeavour to obtain for her the countenance of some of her natural friends: for this purpose, he wrote to Mr. Courland, informing him of the occurrences which had placed the child of his nephew under his care, and did not fail to urge every plea which his humanity could suggest, to induce him to atone to the child for the injustice he had done her father, in resenting so severely a fault so very venial. To this letter he/ received the following answer, which entirely precluded all hopes of ever obtaining his protection for her, and gave Mr. Howard a just idea of the vindictive disposition of the writer:

‘Sir,

I have received your letter of the 20th instant, and beg leave to inform you, that when the young man who calls himself my nephew, forfeited that title by his obstinacy in marrying the daughter of a man I detested, I swore solemnly I would never forgive him, nor acknowledge either his wife or children (if he should have any): this oath I am resolved to abide by: no intreaties or representations shall ever have power to make me alter my resolution, which is firmly fixed.

To prevent his daughter ever having any/ expectation from me, I must inform you I have taken a wife myself, and hope to have descendants of my own, to inherit my fortune. But if I should not, I would rather endow an hospital with it, than that it should enrich a descendant of the Earl of Belhaven.

‘I have the honour to remain

‘Sir,

‘Your very humble servant,

‘Godfrey Courland.’

The wife he had chosen as an instrument of punishment to his nephew was the daughter of a favourite servant: she had officiated in that capacity herself; and as to great good humour and abject adulation, she added much art, she contrived to insinuate herself into the good graces of her master.