1741. EBB to Mary Russell Mitford
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 192–194.
[London]
Monday four oclock [Postmark: 21 October 1844]
Ever dearest Miss Mitford
I write one line to tell you of my distress & consolation. See, how I come to you for sympathy,—knowing that it is in your heart for me.
On Saturday evening at five, my darling Flushie was stolen again! [1] He had been out walking with Arabel, & she & he were standing at this very door, waiting for it to open—she had rung the bell. At the moment, a man walked by with a dog, .. properly prepared, I suppose, for the work of attraction. They rub some sort of stuff over the skin of the decoy dog. At any rate my poor unsuspecting Flush rushed down the steps & down the street after him. Arabel called ‘Flush’ in vain. He is a Duke Flush, & always chooses to have his own way, you know—being, for the rest, very conscious of doing wrong, & never forgetful of the proper apologies after offending. Well—he ran down the street! Arabel followed to the corner, down which, turned man & dog, .. & Flush in the rear,—and as she reached it the moment after, & looked, … all had disappeared together.– Nothing was to be seen! The thief must have snatched up Flush at that corner, & run, with wings at his feet. She returned for help—& my brothers & the servants traversed every street in the immediate neighbourhood in vain. Poor Flushie had fallen again into the hands of his enemies.
You will understand how wretched I have been these two days & nights– They sent, even before I knew of my loss, to the dog-stealers,—& we touched the thread of the villainy almost immediately. But although I was ready to give anything in my power, to get him back, .. out of discretion or from some motive of the kind, they could only, they said, “look for him,” & advise me to “keep quiet—& wait, & not advertise.” Oh—how sick at heart I have been these two days! Now, Alfred has gone down to Shoreditch to receive him & pay six pounds,—with another pound for the agent-thief, .. & now, I can write to you this story of unhappy adventure. Is it not quite too bad & cruel, to repeat the last year’s injury? Six pounds then,—& seven pounds now,—besides the suffering, .. which I wd not undergo again for fifty.
We have not told Papa. He wd have been so angry with Arabel for taking Flush out without his chain, & so disinclined for me to encourage the unrighteousness of thievery by granting the terms which alone can save him, .. that we wd not tell Papa. If indeed he had too curiously enquired into my eyes, he wd have been suspicious of evil,—but I took advantage of my headache yesterday, not to see him all day,—and this morning the redness has gone off as the hope came on,—& when he paid me his visit, I talked fast away his observation of Flush’s empty place. He only said, “What a bad headache you must have had! How ill you look! I do advise you not to write today.”
Dear Flushie! he will be at home in an hour. What a meeting we shall have!
May God bless you, dearest friend!
I am so flushified, I can write of nothing else.
But I am always
your affectionate
EBB.
Address: Miss Mitford / Three Mile Cross / near Reading.
Publication: EBB-MRM, III, 9–11.
Manuscript: Eton College Library and Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Flush had previously been kidnapped in September 1843 (see letters 1378–1380).
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