The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 231: what you’re looking at

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See Eee Ee EE ae 216 THE MYSTERIES. tier with surprise and mistrust—for she began to think that there was a great deal of cold selfishness in his dootrines and insincerity in his conduct. “ According to the routine of Courts, there are set answers to set questions,” replied his lordship. “Such is not altogether the case at my father’s Court,” observed the Princess, with a sigh: and she wished that she was safe back again in Brunswick. The discourse between herself and Lord Malmes- bury was now interrupted by the entrance of Lady Jersey, Mrs. Harcourt, and Mrs. Harvey Aston, who conducted the Princess to the apartments prepared for her temporary accommodation in Saint James's Palace. While submitting to the process of the dinner toilette, Caroline chatted familiarly with the three ladies; and to the Countess of Jersey she was espe- cially polite and amiable. ‘Mrs. Harcourt, the Bed- chamber Woman, was a middle-aged person—very servile and very garrulous: Lady Jersey has already been described ;—and it only remains for us to ob- serve that Mra Harvey Aston was a very handsome woman, about four-and-thirty years of age, and one of the Prince’s numerous mistresses. Thus two of the royal voluptuary’s paramours were installed in close intimacy about the person of the Princess who in three days was to become his wife. . When the dinner-toilette was nearly concladed, Caroline suddenly observed, “By the bye, my dear Jersey, do you know wherefore I have taken such an amazing fancy to you ?” “TT am at a loss to conceive what humble merit on my part should have won me the honour of your Royal Highness’s favour,” was the responee delivered by the Countess, in the usual sycophantic style of courtly phraseology. ‘Your fame reached my ears in Germany,” con- tinued the Princess; “and rumour declared that you were not only a very handsome woman, but also one of the Prince’s best friends.” “Indeed !* ejaculated the Countess, the warm red blood boiling scarlet up to the very surface of her beaatifal polished skin of delicate olive: and, affecting to be busied at the toilette-table, she turned aside to conceal her confasion. “Yes—such were the rumours whieh reached my ears,” proceeded Caroline, in her wonted good- humoured, inconsiderate manner, and without the slightest intention to produce any excitement either in a bad or good sense: “and though, to tell you the candid truth, I can pretty well guess the mean- lug of your great friendship with the Prince, I am not angry now, nor shall I be jealous hereafter. I am not such an idiot as to suppose that a man, with such advantages and opportunities, will prove a saint; and I have made up my mind not to vex him in any way. You may therefore tell him, my dear Jersey, the first time you happen to be alone with him—which I dare say will be tolorably soon,” added her Royal Highness, laughing heartily,—“ you may assure him, I say, that so far from being jealous of you, I at once treated you with marked cordiality and signalled you as one of my best friends.” “Is this sarcasm—wit—or pure stolidity ?” de- manded Lady Jersey, in a hasty whisper, of Mra. Harvey Aston, as they stood together at the toilette-table. “Pure stolidity—utter folly—girlish nonsense,” was the reply given in an equally prompt manoer and low tone. “She is 3 complete fool.” “A downright idiot,” responded the Countess of Jersey: then, turning towards the Princess, sho said aloud, “I thank your Royal Highness for the promise of friendship so graciously made me: but { cannot undertake to become the bearer of any verbal messages to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.” “ Well, then, I will take an opportunity of putting him at his ease with respect to yourself,” said Caro- line, in her wonted off-hand manner of honest sin- oerity, in which however there was nothing coarse and nothing vulgar. The toilette was complete—and the Princess, at- tended by the three ladies, repaired to the ban- quetting-room. The King received her with marked kindness—the Queen, who was a thoroughly heart- less woman, with as studied a reserve. The Prin. cesses Sophia, Amelia, and Augusta were present on the occasion, and treated Caroline of Brunswick with the utmost tenderness and consideration. They observed the ill-natured coldness of demean- our assumed by theic mother: and they endeavoured to atone for that scandalous inhospitality and culd- blooded cruelty by the warmth of their own atten- tions. The Duke of Clarence was good-nataredly soft and harmlessly foolish—-as he always showed himself—for he was scarcely two removes from an idiot : while the Duke of Camberiand, whose eoun- tenance expressed all the darkest passions of the human soul, endeavoured to reader himself ayree- able, but was viewed by the Princess of Bruns- wick with emotions of mingled terror and suspi- on, And how did the Prince of Wales comport him- self upon this occasion? As a matter of course he sate next to his inteaded bride; and, for common decency’s sake, he was civil and attentive to her— bat no more! There wag naught of cordiality in bis manner; and as for love—that was out of the question. Nevertheless he watched her with an eager curiosity, aud listened with a deep attention to every word she uttered. For he felt that his honour was involved, or at all events his pride was concerned, in the qualifications and attributes of the woman who was to become his wife. Thus was he upon this oocasion more inclined to study her impartially and judge her honestly than during the three minuies they were together ere now. He saw and could not help acknowledging within himself that if she were even the devil, she had been painted much blacker than she rea!ly wa. Jer teeth were soand and good—as fine as those which adorned any of the Prince’s most cheriahed mis- tresses: her hair was of a pure auburn—asilken, luxuriant, and glossy ;—and her bust was evidently superb. Thus far the account was in favour of the Princess. Buton the other hand the poison of pre- judice and the venom of malignant bias ha:l been so deeply instilled into the heart, soul, and senses of the Prince, that he viewed all her little amiabilities as failings, all her peculiarities as faults, and all her inexperiences as downright vulgarities. Her good humour he took for familiarity—her hilarity for coarsenese—her cheerfulness for unmannerly for- wardness. In that natural generosity which made her treat her lady-dependants as equals instead of inferiors, and prompted her to elevate them to the rank of her friends, the Prince beheld a most bein- ous departure from the usages of Courts ;—anod is every display of nature's pure, honest, and upadul- DOO eget eee Eee OCs OO ee Goa » Oa SS co