The season is now far advanced, however, and, to my infinite grief,
we must leave this holy spot, where we have made a numerous and most
valuable acquaintance; for, besides several of the first people of
England, we have formed intimacy with the Duchessa di Sangue Nero,
first lady to the Queen of Naples; the Marquesa di Villa Guasta, a great
leader of fashion in Turin; the "Noncio" at the court of Modena; and a
variety of distinguished Florentines and Romans, who all assure us that
our devotions are the best passports for admission in all the select
houses of Italy.
Mary Anne predicts a brilliant winter before us, and even Cary is all
delight at the prospect of picture galleries and works of art. Is n't it
paying the Protestants off for their insulting treatment of us at home,
Molly, to see all the honor and respect we receive abroad? The tables
are completely turned, my dear; for not one of them ever gets his nose
into the really high society of this country, while we are welcomed
to it with open arms. But if there 's anything sure to get you well
received in the first houses, it is having a convert of rank in your
train. To be the means of bringing a lord over to the true fold is to be
taken up at once by cardinals and princes of all kinds.
As Mary Anne says, "Let us only induce Lord George to enter the Catholic
Church and our fortune is made." And oh, Molly, putting all the pomps
and vanities of this world aside, never heeding the grandeur of this
life, nor caring what men may do to us, is n't it an elegant reflection
to save one poor creature from the dreadful road of destruction and
ruin! I'm sure it would be the happiest day of my life when I could
read in the "Tablet," "We have great satisfaction in announcing to our
readers that Lord George Tiverton, member for"--I forget where--"and son
of the Marquis "--I forget whom,--"yesterday renounced the errors of the
Protestant Church to embrace those of the Church of Rome."
Maybe, now, you 'd like to hear something about ourselves; but I 've
little to tell that is either pleasant or entertaining. You know--or,
at least, you will know from Kitty Doolan--the way K. I. destroyed poor
James, and lost him a beautiful creature and four thousand a year. That
was a blow there's no getting over; and, indeed, I'd have sunk under it
if it was n't for Father James, and the consolation he has been able to
give me. There was an offer came for Caroline. Captain Morris, that you
've heard me speak of, wrote and proposed, which I opened during K. I.'s
illness, and sent him a flat refusal, Molly, with a bit of advice in the
end, about keeping in his own rank of life, and marrying into his own
creed.
Maybe I mightn't have been so stout about rejecting him, for it's the
hardest thing in life to marry a daughter nowadays, but that Father
Giacomo said his Holiness would never forgive me for taking a heretic
into the family, and that it was one of the nine deadly sins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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