Ashcliffe Hall: A tale of the last centuryHolt, Emily Sarah
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Ashcliffe Hall: A tale of the last century
Holt, Emily Sarah
England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Religious fiction
"Let us hope to convert you," he answered. "I assure you that your
friends can hope for no great degree of prosperity till they become
mine;[30] and I am not without hopes of changing all England on that
question. Do you think it impossible?"
"I almost do, Sir," said Celia, smiling, and playing with her fan a
little nervously.
"We shall see who is right," added the King, "Ingram, have you seen
Colville lately?"
"And I assure your Majesty," said Lady Ingram rising, "that I shall
make the fullest inquiries about it, and direct Sophie to do so."
"So be it, my dear," said the Queen, quietly. "Farewell! You will
bring this little maid again? I _had_ a daughter--you know. In
Arcadia--once! '_Fiat voluntas Tua._'"
The last words were spoken very low and falteringly. The beloved
Princess Louise, surnamed by her father _La Consolatrice_, had been
taken away from her mother's eyes as with a stroke, only six weeks
before.[31]
And for one minute Celia forgot dishonesty and Popery and everything
else on the part of the exiled House, as she looked pityingly into
the tear-dimmed eyes of the almost desolate mother. There were four
graves at Westminster[32] beside the one at Chaillot, and the young
man who stood beside the Queen was the last of her children: "the
only son of his mother, and she was a widow!"[33]
And the verdict Celia whispered to her own heart at the close
was--"Yes, England has done well--has done right. But oh, if it had
not been necessary!"
"Chocolate!" announced Mr. Philip Ingram to himself, simultaneously
with the presentation of himself at his sister's boudoir-door.
"Patient, bring me a cup--there's a good soul. Why, how long is it
before supper?"
"Scarcely two hours, I know," said Celia; "but I had very little
dinner, and I am hungry."
"You dined on your coming interview with the Queen, did you? Well,
how do you like her?"
"I like her face very much, and feel very sorry for her."
"You like her face!" repeated Philip, putting his hands in his
pockets. "What a droll answer! Do you mean that you dislike her
voice, or what part of her?"
"Nothing in that way. Philip, I wonder if there is a scrap of
honesty left in the world!"
"Precious little, my dear--I can tell you that. Patient, you are a
diamond of the first water!" The last remark by way of receipt for
the chocolate.
"Well, I think so! I never could have imagined that such men as the
Duke of Marlborough and Dean Atterbury were eating the Queen's bread,
and deceiving her every day by writing to these people and offering
help."
Philip laughed. "So that is what has angered and astonished you?
Why, any man in Paris could have told you that months ago. 'Tis no
secret, my innocence--from any but the Princess Anne."
"'Tis rank dishonesty!" exclaimed Celia, warmly. "I don't complain
of their helping this Court, but of their want of truth. If they are
Jacobites, let them have the manliness to say so."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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