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
In December, 1868, I was staying with Lady Mordaunt at the Alexandra
Hotel, Knightsbridge. The Duke and Duchess of Athole stayed there
with her. The day after they left Sir F. Johnstone came, and left her
ladyship's sitting-room about midnight. I was at Walton during her
confinement, and until she left. After the nurse left, on the 27th of
March, I attended on her. The note produced I found soon after the
10th of April in one of her ladyship's pockets in a dress which she
had recently worn. [This was the letter read yesterday addressed to
the nurse, and bidding her say nothing more about the nonsense the
writer had uttered.] About the 25th of April I noticed in the paper
the death of the Countess of Bradford. I showed it to Lady Mordaunt,
who said, "Poor thing, I'm so sorry," and said she would have to
go into mourning. I provided temporary mourning, and her ladyship
directed me to get two mourning dresses, as she would not be going
about much. She also selected mourning jewelry. On the 6th of May
I saw her before the physicians came. She was conversing with Mrs.
Forbes, who asked for some brandy and soda water, and while she was
drinking it Lady Mordaunt laughed, and said, "Helen, if you drink all
that I'm sure you'll be tipsy." The same evening Mrs. Cadogan called,
and I took a photograph in. They were talking very comfortably. On
the 12th of May, while dressing her ladyship, she remarked on the
dress Lady Kinnoul wore, and said, "What a larky old thing she is." I
told her Mrs. Forbes admired a certain dress of hers, and she replied
that she wore it a long time at Yowle [Mrs. Forbes' residence]. Her
ladyship looked at the newspapers until the time of her leaving, the
15th of May. Down to that day I constantly attended on her. I have
never seen her since. I never saw anything indicative of unsound mind.
She was perfectly rational and sensible, and appeared to understand
everything.
Henry Bird, an old servant of the family, and butler, testified in a
candid, frank way, to what he knew, as follows:
[Sidenote: FARQUHAR AND JOHNSTONE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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