Page:The Romance of Isabel, Lady Burton.djvu/706

668 said, 'Who is the personification of Foreign Office?' They said, 'X is.' I saw 'X '; but he tried to evade my question—i.e. Would F. O. do anything to prevent the Soudan falling into chaos? It was no use. I cornered him, and he then said, "I am merely a clerk to register letters coming in and going out." So then I gave it up, and marvelled. I must say I was surprised to see such a thing; a great Government like ours governed by men who dare not call their souls their own. Lord rules them with a rod of iron. If your husband would understand that F. O. at present is Lord (and he is ill), he would see that I can do nothing. I have written letters to F. O. that would raise a corpse; it is no good. I have threatened to go to the French Government about the Soudan; it is no good. In fact, my dear Mrs. Burton, I have done for myself with this Government, and you may count me a feather, for I am worth no more. Will you send this on to your husband? He is a first-rate fellow, and I wish I had seen him long ago (scratch this out, for he will fear I am going to borrow money); and believe me, my dear Mrs. Burton (pardon me about Suez), "Yours sincerely,

"12.3.80.

"Excuse my not answering your kind note or 5.3.80 before; but to be quiet I have come abroad, and