The Magnificent Montez: From Courtesan to Convert — John Shaqi
The Magnificent Montez: From Courtesan to ConvertWyndham, Horace
History
The Magnificent Montez: From Courtesan to Convert
Wyndham, Horace
Montez, Lola, 1818-1861
The lawyers would not be hurried; and things moved in leisurely
fashion. Still, they moved to their appointed end; and, the necessary
red tape being unwound, interrogatories administered, and the evidence
of prying chambermaids and hotel servants collected and examined, in
May, 1841, the case of James v. Lennox got into the list and was heard
by Lord Denman and a special jury in the Court of Queen's Bench. Sir
William Follett, the Solicitor-General, was briefed on behalf of the
plaintiff, and Frederick Thesiger appeared for Captain Lennox.
In his opening address, Sir William Follett (who had not been too well
instructed) told the jury that the petitioner and his wife "had lived
very happily together in India, and that the return of Mrs. James to
England was due to a fall from her horse at Calcutta." While on the
passage home, he continued, pulling out his _vox humana_ stop, the
ship touched at Madras, where the defendant came on board; and,
"during the long voyage, an intimacy sprang up between Mrs. James and
himself which developed in a fashion that left the outraged husband no
choice but to institute the present proceedings to recover damages for
having been wantonly robbed of the affection and society of his
consort."
At this point, counsel for Captain Lennox (who, in pusillanimous
fashion, had loved and sailed away, rather than stop and help the
woman he had compromised) cut short his learned friend's tearful
eloquence by admitting that he was prepared to accept a verdict, with
L1000 damages. As the judge agreed, the case was abruptly terminated.
This, however, was only the first round. In December of the following
year, the next step was adopted, and a suit for divorce was commenced
in the Consistory Court. As neither Mrs. James nor the Lothario-like
Captain Lennox put in an appearance, Dr. Lushington, declaring himself
satisfied that misconduct had been committed, pronounced a decree _a
mensa et thoro_. All that this amounted to was merely a judicial
separation.
The report in _The Times_ only ran to a dozen lines. Considering that
the paper cost fivepence a copy, this was not a very liberal
allowance. Still, readers had better value in respect of another
action in "high life" that was heard the same day, that of Lord and
Lady Graves, which had a full column allotted it.
II
This was all that the public knew of the case. It did not seem much on
which to blast a young wife's reputation. Dr. Lushington, the judge of
the Consistory Court, however, knew a good deal more about the
business than did the general public. This was because, during the
preliminary hearing, held some months earlier and attended only by
counsel and solicitors, a number of damaging facts had transpired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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