Mrs. Howard

“ Howard appeared ill and out of spirits. I wonder what can be the matter with him—do you think he can be in love?"
"I am not in his confidence," said Emma, coloring deeply.
"You will see him, of course," said Elizabeth, "if you go to Osborne Castle—be sure and let me know what you think of him, then; do ascertain if he is in love."
"You had better make observations for yourself, Elizabeth," replied her sister, "how can I judge of a sentiment with which I am unacquainted; wait till you visit Margaret, and you will be able to form your own opinions." ”

“ Now she said: "I never saw much of Ruth after her grandmother died, but we stayed civil. It was a very civil family. Old Mrs. Howard never spoke against anybody, nor let anyone be turned away without food. Then it was never 'Trespassers will be prosecuted' in their land, but would people please not come in. Mrs. Howard was never created to run a farm."
"Had they no men to help them?" Margaret asked.
Miss Avery replied: "Things went on until there were no men."
"Until Mr. Wilcox came along," corrected Margaret, anxious that her husband should receive his due. ”

“ Before the night had gathered up all its dark shadows there came a low rap on her door which aroused her, and, springing from her bed, wondered how she could have slept so long. Mrs. Howard entered.
"I am sorry to awake you so soon," she said, "but he seems so anxious to have you come to him, that I could not well wait longer. I told him there was a lady here to see him, but would not tell him your name. ”

“ Howard decisively, for Fair’s declaration of love for Bayard Lorraine had alarmed her, and she saw in it a new element of [Pg 212] danger for all, so she advocated the prince’s cause most zealously.
But Fair only refused, in despairing defiance, to see or hold any communication with her husband.
“Tell him I will never see him,” she reiterated, but Mrs. Howard answered:
“That is rash, foolish! You are in his own house, and you are his own wife. He will enter your presence by force, if you persist in this silly refusal.” ”

“ Howard’s anger had hardened her heart, and, without going near poor Fair, she had answered hastily:
“Let her suffer, then, for she richly deserves it.”
Betty was so devoted to her mistress that she angrily reported those words to her, and Fair [Pg 207] wept more than ever when she realized that her friend and benefactress had hardened her heart against her.
She had not undressed all night, and when Mrs. Howard entered the room she was lying on a sofa in the crushed and rumpled white silk tea gown, with her magnificent, rippling, red-gold tresses falling to her waist in rich disorder. ”

“ Howard, has cried, ‘Because you have an ugly neck yourself, you hide the Queen’s.’
One other instance may be cited here of Caroline’s dislike of her good Howard. ‘The Queen had an obscure window at St. James’s that looked into a dark passage, lighted only by a single lamp at night, which looked upon Mrs. Howard’s apartment. Lord Chesterfield, one Twelfth Night at court, had won so large a sum of money that he thought it not prudent to carry it home in the dark, and deposited it with the mistress. ”

“ Howard, himself, was a worthy son of the handsome, brown-bearded man whom he called papa. Tall, slender, and yellow haired, he was as bonnie a laddie as ever filled a mother's heart with pride; a healthy, happy boy, affectionate and generous, and full of a rollicking fun which made him at once the delight and terror of his sister, who never knew in what direction his next outbreak would come. ”

“ The doctors seemed to have hope, but”—and his eyes turned from her to Mrs. Howard—“I want the marriage to go on at once. It is not best to run any risks.”
Mrs. Howard understood him at once. He was thinking of her darling’s future.
“Bless you, Bayard!” she said tenderly, as she laid her hand on his white brow, and she added: “You are right. The marriage should certainly [Pg 191] take place at once—that is, if you can bear the excitement.”
He smiled a faint yet reassuring smile, and asked:
“The minister?”
“He is here yet. He can be summoned in a minute.”
Then she cried out in alarm:
“Fair!” ”

“ He thought she referred to the deception that had been practiced in letting him believe that she was Mrs. Howard’s own daughter so long. [Pg 167] True to his implied promise to Mrs. Howard, he would not let the girl know that he was disappointed.
He took the beautiful, pale face in his hands and kissed the quivering rosebud lips.
“Do you think I blame you for being poor, instead of Mrs. Howard’s heiress?” he said reproachfully. “Nonsense, little darling! I love you for yourself alone.” ”

“ Howard dreaded the long-legged, all-pervasive twins, but she pitied the widowed [Pg 1340] and impoverished little artist. "So sad," she was wont to say to her intimates in describing her lodger, "a young widow left all alone in a foreign country."
"But one would hardly call America a foreign country to an Englishwoman," one friend had interpolated at this point.
"Yes, I know," Mrs. Howard had acknowledged, "but she seems foreign. Her husband was an American, I believe, and he evidently left her with almost nothing. He must have been very unkind to her, she has such a dislike of Americans. ”

“ Goodriche, "a little old lady, named Mrs. Howard, lived in this house with her maid Betty. She had an old horse called Crop, which grazed in that meadow, and carried Betty to market once a week. Mrs. Howard was one of the kindest and most good-natured old ladies in England. Three or four times every year Betty had orders, when she went to market, to bring all manner of playthings and little books from the toy-shop. These playthings and pretty little books Mrs. Howard used to keep by her till she saw any children whom she thought worthy of them. ”

“ A groan burst from the lips of one of the watchers, which was answered by a low chuckle from his companion; for both the Captain and Harry Maurice had recognised in the mysterious lady the features of the bewitching Mrs. Howard.
There is little more to tell. The question of “Who is she?” now needed no reply. Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Harley, and some dozen other aliases, were the names of an exceedingly genteel adventuress, who is yet vividly remembered by the charitable whom she victimized a few years since. ”

“ Lord Fordyce announced, rather nettled. "So would any man if he knew Mrs. Howard."
"Howard?" asked Michael—"but anyone can be a Talbot or a Howard or a Cavendish out there—so she is a Mrs. Howard, is she? I wonder who the husband was—I had a rascally cousin of that name who went to Arizona—perhaps she married him."
"Her husband was an American," Henry rejoined, "and is in a madhouse or an institution for inebriates, I believe." ”

“ Her husband was past the age of forty-five when he volunteered. He was taken prisoner by Mosby and died in Andersonville prison. Left a widow at the age of twenty-three years, with three helpless children, and wholly unprepared for the battle of life, her position was painful. Finally she decided to study- medicine, tier parents demurred, but Mrs. Howard was firm. Her little girl was a cripple, and the study of medicine was suggested by that fact. At the age of twenty-seven she went to New York. She entered the New York Medical College for Women and was graduated. ”

“ Howard, the husband, though a roué, at last went into the quadrangle at St James's and publicly demanded his wife. He then wrote to the Archbishop. His letter was given to the Queen, and by her to Mrs Howard. Yet all this scandal never interrupted the lady's intercourse with the highest personages of the court. Mrs Howard continued to be the Queen's bedchamber woman; the Queen suffered her personal attendance, her carriage was escorted by John Duke of Argyle; her husband obtained a pension to hold his tongue ”

“ But as dinner advanced, just as her ladyship was detailing to Mrs. Willis some events in the village which required superintendence, and whilst Miss Carr was making a lively attack on Lord Osborne—about his absence of mind during the dinner, Mr. Howard enquired whether her curiosity was gratified. Pleasure that he should once more resume a tone of friendship, brought a lively colour to her cheeks, and so sweet a smile to her lips, that he must have been very insensible to admiration of beauty, had he been able to resist the attraction. ”

“ Howard, who was always precise, ladylike, and self-possessed to a degree that must have been provoking at times.
At an early period of the reign she was required to present the basin for the queen to wash her hands, and to do so kneeling. A page brought the pitcher and basin, and placed both upon a table; then it became the duty of the bed-chamber woman to pour water into the basin, place it before the queen, and remain on her knees, close by the stand, while her majesty performed her ablution. Mrs. Howard objected to so humble an office ”

“ Howard protested he had never loved any other woman, never sought any other hand than hers, and never made fine speeches to any one. With all his eloquence and ability he was not able to extract from her the fact, that she had refused Lord Osborne. She had two motives for her silence; a feeling of delicacy towards her rejected suitor, and a decided determination not to flatter Howard's vanity by such a mark of her preference. ”

“ Howard, “does it not strike you that you are taking but a one-sided, narrow view of life, my dear? When you speak so sadly of woman’s lot, it seems as if you thought this life was all we had to expect, when I am sure you do not think so. ”

“ Annie turned to the judge.
"Please, judge," she said, "don't say any more." Addressing her husband, she went on: "He didn't mean what he said, Howard."
Howard hung his head.
"He's quite right, Annie," he said shamefacedly. "I never should have consented to go; I was wrong."
Judge Brewster advanced and patted him kindly on the back.
"Good boy!" he said. "Now, Mrs. Jeffries, I'll tell your husband the truth."
"No!" she cried.
"Then I'll tell him without your permission," he retorted. Turning to the young man, he went on: "Howard, your wife is an angel! She's too good a woman for this world. ”

“ She has not hesitated to sacrifice her good name, her happiness to shield another woman. And that woman—the woman who called at Underwood's room that night—was Mrs. Jeffries, your stepmother!"
Howard started back in amazement.
"It's true, then, I did recognize her voice!" he cried.
Turning to his wife, he said: "Oh, Annie, why didn't you tell me? You saved my stepmother from disgrace, you spared my father! Oh, that was noble of you!" In a low tone he whispered: "Don't send me away from you, Annie! Let me stay and prove that I'm worthy of you!" ”

“ Howard rather wondered at this answer, and said:
"'Not good, my dears, how is that?'
"'We wish to be good, ma'am,' said one of the little girls, 'but we are not.'
"'Well to be sure!' remarked Mrs. Baynes; 'but you have a very good mamma, my little dears.'
"'Mamma is good to us,' said Mary.
"'But God is the only real good person,' added Amelia.
"Mrs. Howard was rather surprised, but as the storm was still getting more frightful, she moved her chair, shut the window, and sat in the middle of the room; the two little ones in their fear clinging to her, whilst she put an arm round each of them. ”

“ But Howard—I have been thinking now that if he was to get married and settled, he might give up the law business altogether; and, if they were content to live in Scotland, he might look after Denny-mains. It will be his in any case, ye know; he would have the interest of a man looking after his own property. Now, I will tell ye plainly, ma'am, what I have been thinking about this day or two back; if Howard would marry your young lady friend, that would be agreeable to me."
The calm manner in which the Laird announced his scheme showed that it had been well matured. ”

“ Morrison; “why, my dear Mrs. Howard, if she had sense and feeling enough to act thus, she would never have behaved as she has done.”
“Edda Murray has acted willfully and selfishly, I admit,” said Mrs. Howard; “but we do not know what provocations she may have had. Ralph is a fine, noble fellow, but arbitrary and impatient—the very kind of man that I should fancy it would not be easy to make happy in domestic life, even if a judicious woman were to undertake the task. ”

“ I hear that his present majesty complains that he is no better off as king than he was as prince; the queen commanding to retain Mrs. Howard as dame de ses pensées. She is right; it is only positive qualities that are dangerous, and Mrs. Howard is made up of negations: not, I dare say, that she ever said a good downright "no" in her life. But you must make her acquaintance personally. Fancy a tall and fine figure in a green taffety dress, set off with rose-coloured ribands, both colours well suited to her fair hair and skin ”

“ Goodriche—"she was then a very little girl—and your grandmother and great-uncle, both young ones; with many others now dead and gone. In one corner of the parlour was a cupboard with glass doors, where Mrs. Howard had placed such of those pretty toys (as I before spoke of) which she meant to give away in the afternoon. The prettiest of these was the jointed doll, neatly dressed in a green satin slip, and gauze apron and bib.
"By the time Master and Miss Bennet had made their bow and curtsey, and were seated, Betty came in with the dinner, and Mrs. Howard called the children to table. ”