IV
Return to Florence—Rupture and Reconciliation—The British Minister—English Lady’s-maid—Milord’s Imprisonment—My Flight—Presents and Promises—My Father’s Avowal—My Behaviour Towards Him—His Obliquity.
My husband soon wearied of the country and wanted to return to Florence. There he hired a fine house, big enough to hold us all; the first storey was to belong to him, his son and me; my parents occupied the second. We were to be independent of each other, but Lord Newborough was still responsible for the expenses of the double household.
Although forty-five years old, my mother was then enceinte, and gave birth to a fifth boy, who was named Thomas, after milord, his godfather.
LORD NEWBOROUGH
FROM A PICTURE AT GLYNLLIFON
The education of my brothers took a quite different direction from what had seemed probable at first. My husband placed them in a large school, with his own son, who could not stay there more than a few months. Afterwards an attempt was made to give him a tutor; but the young man was irrevocably ruined. When the tutor saw him he said, “I have come too late.”
In changing my abode I had in no way changed my situation; milord kept up his usual style of living, giving me endless trouble; and those who ought to have been a comfort to me, treated me with contempt, only saying, “Really, you are not worthy of your lot; don’t you understand that you are on the eve of becoming a very wealthy widow, and that soon you will be able to do just what you please?”
But in spite of these fine words, they did not show themselves very willing at times to put up with the fits of rage of the irascible old man.
One day, when the intoxicating fumes had got greatly into his head, he provoked my father by his abuse and rushed at him to strike him. Armed with a big stick and wild with rage, my father vigorously returned the assault, till the noise they made and their outcries attracted a crowd which separated them.
The assailant left his house and ordered me to follow him. As I clearly and positively refused to do so, I received a note in which he informed me that if I did not do as he asked, he should put an end to his life. I seized a pen and wrote him these few words—
“My old fool, if you wish to give me a proof of your affection, make haste and carry out what you announce to your unhappy victim,
“Maria.”
Several days went by without my hearing anything about him, and I was almost happy; but this calm was but the prelude to the storm.
One of his servants came to tell me that he was dangerously ill, and that, feeling his last hour to be at hand, he begged to see me that he might make important communications to me.
It was in vain I answered that I had no wish to receive any; my father pointed out to me that such conduct on my part could not fail to be very prejudicial to us.
He added that he would go with me, and swore that he would bring me back with him.
Reassured by this promise, I agreed, on condition that our visit should be a short one.
As I entered, I was greatly astonished at seeing the British Minister beside milord’s bed.
The supposed sick man held out his hand to me and assured me that it needed only my presence for his complete recovery; that he was very sorry for having given me so much trouble, and that it should not happen again.
“I wish you good health,” I replied quickly; “but to return to you is quite impossible; and I declare to you that if it had not been to please my father, you would never have seen me here.”
I got up at once, and signed to my father to leave.
He did not stir; his look revealed the plot to me, and I realized his deceitfulness.
The Minister did all he could to lessen my vexation, and averred that he took upon himself the responsibility for the conduct of my husband in the future.
From that moment that gentleman showed me much attention; he introduced me to his wife, and procured me the acquaintance of several English ladies, among others the Misses C., with whom I became very intimate, especially the second, afterwards the Marchioness of B., my greatest friend.
Still I had to endure numberless mortifications; the Italian nobility looked down on me, and milord was invited by himself to the great receptions. Moreover, my domestic circumstances had become more unbearable than ever.
My husband had insisted on giving me a lady’s-maid of his own country and choice, the most worthless of women. In a short time she had succeeded in wholly captivating her old master, and even more, his son, so that she ruled despotically in the house; nothing was done without her, her advice was received like an oracle, and her words were commands no one dared disobey. If I allowed myself a comment, she treated me like a child, and took pleasure in secretly taunting me with my lowly origin and the contemptible part I had played in my own despite. I could not take a step without having her at my heels, finding fault with everything I did; and as my most innocent doings were always malignantly misconstrued, I made up my mind to give up all outside amusements.
Keeping to my own room, I had no recreation but music and the care of my birds.
One day when I was petting my favourite sparrow, they came to tell me that milord was asking for me to go out driving with him. I went down, quite resolved to make my rightful complaints to him.…
Our carriage, having crossed the town, was stopped at the barrier. We went to another of the gates and were treated in the same fashion.
My husband, in a fury, accused Chiappini of this, and swore to have his revenge. He forbade me to hold any communication with him, and ordered his abominable confidante never to let me out of her sight. Paying no attention to his reproofs, I went back quietly to my room.
Suddenly there arose a great uproar in the next room; I opened the door and saw milord, followed by three constables, who seized him and dragged him away to the fortress.
The lady’s-maid screamed aloud and hurled a torrent of abuse at me.
The next morning she received a letter and went to the prison, after putting me in charge of two footmen, who took advantage of her absence to empty a bottle or two.
Having myself taken the opportunity to go out on my balcony and breathe freely, a note which I saw came from my father was thrown up to me. Joyfully I picked it up.
It told me to hold myself in readiness at a certain hour.
I hastily put on all my most valuable things, and at the appointed moment went quickly downstairs and jumped into a carriage that was at the door. There I found my aunt, who tenderly welcomed me, and in no time we reached Fiesole, where my father told me that, having heard by public report that my husband wished to get away without paying his debts, he had got leave from the Grand Duke to have him put into safe keeping.
Walking in the garden on the Sunday, I saw the arrival of his son, who, as he met me, said,
“Milady, allow me to offer you some trifles my father sends you.”
I declared that I would take nothing from him, and that his gifts were as hateful to me as their giver.
But the parcel had already fallen into the hands of my mother, who welcomed its bringer with jubilation, and begged him to repeat his visits.
“Oh, how beautiful!” she cried as she opened the box; “who would have believed milord had such good taste? I’ll wager that several of these fine things were bought for me.”
I retorted that she might take them all, and that never in my life would I touch one of them.
It needed nothing further to induce her to take possession of the whole lot, except the flowers, which she looked upon as worthless.
The same messenger reappeared towards the end of the week, and handed me the following letter—
“My angel, I cannot live without you. Oh! if you knew how I weary for you, I am convinced your tender heart would break. Come, come, to comfort me. Happiness awaits you with me. A large sum of money is being sent to me to meet all my obligations, and we will leave Florence soon and go to my own dear country, where you will be admired by all the world, especially by your humble and affectionate slave.”
While reading these curious sweet things, I had noticed the delight of my family at hearing that a large sum was coming from England, and in it I saw the omen of a distressful reconciliation.
My father left us at once, and the very same evening I had the misery of seeing him return with milord, who fell at my feet, saying, “Dear jewel of my heart, behold your faithful adorer.”
At the same time he offered me a bouquet, which I threw in his face.
Far from being offended, he pressed me to his bosom; and while I struggled to free myself, my father joined in, declaring that he had no power over my person, that he could not keep me away any longer, and that the law obliged me to live with my husband.
I felt my blood freeze in my veins; I gave full vent to my indignation; I stated its causes unreservedly; but the only satisfaction I could obtain was the dismissal of my infamous persecutrix.