Maryland -- History -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction
I saw no definite signs, as yet, of the conversion of this prodigy,
which I so earnestly hoped for. He had quarrelled with North, lost his
place on the Admiralty, and presently the King had made him a Lord of
the Treasury, tho' more out of fear than love. Once in a while, when he
saw Comyn at Almack's, he would desire to be remembered to me, and he
always spoke of me with affection. But he could be got to write to no
one, said my Lord, with kind exaggeration; nor will he receive letters,
for fear he may get a dun.
Alas, I got no message from Dorothy! Nor had she ever mentioned my name
to Comyn. He had not seen her for eight months after I left England,
as she had been taken to the Continent for her health. She came back to
London more ravishing than before, and (I use his Lordship's somewhat
extravagant language) her suffering had stamped upon her face even more
of character and power. She had lost much of her levity, likewise. In
short, my Lord declared, she was more of the queen than ever, and the
mystery which hung over the Vauxhall duel had served only to add to her
fame.
Dorothy having become cognizant of Mr. Marmaduke's trickery, Chartersea
seemed to have dropped out of the race. He now spent his time very
evenly between Spa and Derresley and Paris. Hence I had so much to
be thankful for,--that with all my blunders, I had saved her from his
Grace. My Lord the Marquis of Wells was now most conspicuous amongst her
suitors. Comyn had nothing particular against this nobleman, saying that
he was a good fellow, with a pretty fortune. And here is a letter,
my dears, in which he figures, that I brought to Cordon's Pride that
spring:
“10 SOUTH PARADE, BATH,
“March 12, 1774.
“DEAR RICHARD:--Miss Manners has come to Bath, with a train behind
her longer than that which followed good Queen Anne hither, when she
made this Gehenna the fashion. Her triumphal entry last Wednesday
was announced by such a peal of the abbey bells as must have cracked
the metal (for they have not rung since) and started Beau Nash
a-cursing where he lies under the floor. Next came her serenade by
the band. Mr. Marmaduke swore they would never have done, and
squirmed and grinned like Punch when he thought of the fee, for he
had hoped to get off with a crown, I warrant you. You should have
seen his face when they would accept no fee at all for the beauty!
Some wag has writ a verse about it, which was printed, and has set
the whole pump-room laughing this morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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