who, in her better days, was a washerwoman, is supposed to be--by the
learned--very much the occult cause of our domestic discrepancies."
The seeming exculpation of myself in the extract (p.646), with the
words immediately following it, "Her nearest relations are a---;"
where the blank clearly implies something too offensive for
publication. These passages tend to throw suspicion on my parents,
and give reason to ascribe the separation either to their direct
agency, or to that of "officious spies" employed by them. {70b} From
the following part of the narrative (p.642), it must also be inferred
that an undue influence was exercised by them for the accomplishment
of this purpose: "It was in a few weeks after the latter communication
between us (Lord Byron and Mr. Moore) that Lady Byron adopted the
determination of parting from him. She had left London at the latter
end of January, on a visit to her father's house in Leicestershire;
and Lord Byron was in a short time to follow her. They had parted in
the utmost kindness, she wrote him a letter, full of playfulness and
affection, on the road; and, immediately on her arrival at Kirkby
Mallory, her father wrote to acquaint Lord Byron that she would return
to him no more."

'In my observations upon this statement, I shall, as far as possible,
avoid touching on any matters relating personally to Lord Byron and
myself. The facts are,--I left London for Kirkby Mallory, the
residence of my father and mother, on the 15th of January, 1816. Lord
Byron had signified to me in writing (Jan. 6) his absolute desire that
I should leave London on the earliest day that I could conveniently
fix. It was not safe for me to undertake the fatigue of a journey
sooner than the 15th. Previously to my departure, it had been
strongly impressed on my mind that Lord Byron was under the influence
of insanity. This opinion was derived in a great measure from the