Palace and Hovel; Or, Phases of London LifeKirwan, Daniel Joseph
History
Palace and Hovel; Or, Phases of London Life
Kirwan, Daniel Joseph
London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- Social life and customs
Lady Mordaunt's husband had ordered her not to receive the Prince of
Wales at his house while he was absent, or at any other time, but the
unfortunate woman had disobeyed him. She also refused to accompany Sir
Charles on a fishing excursion to Norway, as she preferred to stay at
home and associate with disreputable characters. He also ordered her
not to receive Viscount Cole, or Sir Frederick Johnstone, but, as in
the other case, the husband was disobeyed, and his house was used by
them against his will during his absence. On the 27th of February,
1868, Lady Mordaunt was prematurely confined of a child which was
afflicted in the eyes with a hideous disease. The first question asked
by Lady Mordaunt immediately after her confinement, was of the nurse.
She asked, "Is the child diseased?" The nurse answered, "My Lady, you
mean deformed;" and Lady Mordaunt answered, "No, you know what I mean."
This question was repeated five or six times, and, during the night,
she said to her sister, Mrs. Forbes, "If you do not let me talk I will
go mad," meaning thereby that she desired to make a confession. The
nurse asked if she should fetch Sir Charles to her, and she said "no,"
but added, "This child is not Sir Charles's at all--but Lord Cole's."
She then stated that she had behaved improperly with Lord Cole in June,
1867, at her husband's house. This was testified to by the nurse, and
the occurrence took place at Walton Hall. She was afraid that the baby
would be blind--the disease being an incurable one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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