1828] ANTECEDENTS 25
as she felt so lonely in a strange country, and did not like to leave the young Frenchwomen with whom she was at work. During this time Miss Paul often came to see her, and they became great friends. At last a day was fixed on which Victoire was summoned to the house " settlement pour voir," and then she first saw Lady Paul. Miss Paul insisted that when her mother asked Victoire her age, she should say twenty-two at least, as Lady Paul objected to her having any maid under twenty-eight. " Therefore," said Victoire, " when Miladi asked * Quelle age avez-vous ?' j'ai r^pondu c Vingt-deux ans, mais je suis devenu toute rouge, oh comme je suis devenu rouge' — et Miladi a r^pondu avec son doux sourire —' Ah vous n'avez pas 1'habitude des mensonges?'— Oh comme §a m'a tellement frapp^."1
My father was married to Anne Frances Paul at the church in the Strand on the 28th of April 1828. " Oh comme il y avait du monde!" said Victoire, when she described the ceremony to me. A few days afterwards a breakfast was given at the Star and G-arter at Eichmond, at which all the relations on both sides were present, Maria Leycester, the future bride of Augustus Hare, being also amongst the guests.
1 I have dwelt upon the first connection of Madame Victoire Ackermann with our family, not only because her name frequently occurs again in these Memoirs, but because they are indebted to notes left by her for much of their most striking material. I have never known any person more intellectually interesting, for the class to which she belonged, than Victoire. Without the slightest exaggeration, and with unswerving rectitude of intention, her conversation was always charming and original, and she possessed the rare art of narration in the utmost perfection.