Confessions of a Young Lady

describable. She made you feel what an altogether superior person she was, and what an altogether inferior person you were, and yet she did it in a way w

yet anybody could see that she was somebody. There was, even about the way in which she carried her parasol--my

ompany" were there that week, and even the shilling seats were crowded. She was in the second row among the shillings. And by the greatest chance in the wo

erwhelmed. She really treated him as if he had been her equal; as if he had been an acquaintance of some standing

n by the women--was the Princess Margaretta. She had taken a suite of rooms at the hotel--

people of rank and position may expect to r

on do not, as a rule, call upon visitors. They are rather a higgledy-piggledy lot, are visitors. In general, they are only welcomed by the hotel proprietors, and lodging-house keepers, and the trade

m House. And as for his wife--we never even speak of his wife. Then she received the Jacksons. It is the belief, at Beachington, that old Jackson used to keep a public-house. It is not only that he suffers from a chronic thirst, but he looks like i

woman the pathos is heightened. And the Princess was rich. She owned it with a most charming frankness. It seemed her husband had been an American, and he had added his fortune to her fortune, and the result was

ed me along the parade, past the asphalt, on to the rough grou

ould be impossible for a ma

ked him what he meant

is short and stout, not to say puffy. He is balder than I am, and my wife says that for me to brush my hair is a farce. He live

x a public insult upon Crookshanks

aughter is herself a widow. She has two children. Mother and children all live with him. He has two other daughters, both unmarried. Between them poor Crookshanks h

r idiot than himself that he was not the greatest idiot in Beachi

ion makes him painfully warm. "If I could only get Crookshank

When he spoke his tone was doubtful. I detect

a woman would borrow money from a man unless sh

diture is measured out with mathematical exactness. I wanted to know where

had to pay a stiff price for it,

atters. Fifteen pounds were nothing to her, while to him--they were fifteen pounds. I promised that he would never se

f the married men as well, There were some pretty scandals! Rouse, the curate of St Giles', had a tête-à-tête dinner with her in her private sitting-room, a

ing her to the faith we hold so dear. It is only a passage in one of the Articles which keeps her back. I do not understand exact

s to our Daisy. And he had paid his attentions with a vengeance. Yet here he was dangling about the Princess's skirts as though he were tie

ernoon on the Front. I was walking, she was in a carriag

day I made such a silly mistake. I called

t it. She said that you left a card

ve been invisible to the people on the front, it was visible enough to me. She looked supremely lovely. No wonder all the men were aft

o explain. Sh

again?--one of the masses. I don't know how it may be with others in my position, but it is often so with me. And to such an extent, that at one time I even thought of coming to Beachington as plain Mrs Dowsett. I thought it would be such fun, so obviously ridiculous, you know. I even had cards printed with the name

, I presume that your name is Dowsett, to

not cease to be the Princess Margaretta because, by acci

hich showed that I had w

es Marchmont. I got there by degrees. She caught up th

! He is so utterly

h you--Charl

minally, engaged to Daisy--my little girl. But I did not ch

en me a hun

ng from the c

t has given you a

sufferings of my unfortunate compatriots. Because they are Hebrews, is that a reason why we should give them stones instead of bread? Oh, no! Are they not my fellow-creatures? But every one in Beachington has made my sympath

ans to speak of, and I know that the income

d in my purse. To the relief of the Russian Jews, I understood that it was to be devoted at the time, though I am free to admit that she d

ming with something--possibly with rapture. When he saw me, in

amish! Congratulate

m expected to congratulate him on. I told him so. He

mised to mak

e?

at he would make himself still taller. "The Princess Margaretta, Beamish, that august and most beaut

where or other, I forget the name of the place. The driest old stick I ever yet encountered. As

I am to be ma

felt inclined to kick him as he stood the

an of the widest sympathies. I am inclined to the belief that it is because I have made her sympathies my own that I have made her heart mine also. I presented her this afternoon with a cheque for a thousand guineas to be devoted to a cause in which she is muc

uld not! I fancy that he was so lifted up in the seventh

n and cute, and yet as nice a fellow as you would care to meet. He spends three or four months of e

lings, looking down at the

ever hear anything in the S

ing at immediately. Tha

ncess's

know that her husban

ered a moment b

that there neve

y, she told m

ruth." He was silent; although I could not see his face, I guessed, somehow, he was smiling. "It is my further opinion--I mention

! What would Mrs Beamish say? I ha

she has promised

than one man in Beachington who is under the pleasing impression that she has promised to marry him. For inst

at you think she is no bet

ent, applies to all the women I ever met, not to speak of all the men. I think--I am not sure, but I think--that I understand the Princess Margaretta. I think, also, that she understands me. There is one advantage gained--a common understanding--especially as I am myself, in some respects, a rather peculiar person.

you that he thinks a woman is no better than she ought to be, and then, in the very same breath, that he is more than half inclined to marry

he servant came and said that a "gentleman" wished to see me. She hesitated

had shown him. I told him that I was that individual. "Can you tell me what is my

individual of about forty years of age. No wonder the servant had hesitated t

ou. I fancy there is

ough the mere tone of my v

had the honour of your acquaintance, She

? Who is y

is Mrs

had heard the name before. "Is it possible tha

e--

, as all the world knows, is

I hope she's not gone so far

ands together as if he wer

te husband's name was Dowsett. Pe

owsett. But perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what kin

ring of great lady. I did not do her justice--who can do a beautiful woman justice by a mere description?--but I apparently did her sufficient justice to en

had given me to understand, near relation to the Romanoffs, the reigning Russi

broken exclamations might

poses. May I ask you to explain! And, first o

and General Provision Merchant," with an address at Islington. "That's me," he repeated with an air of positive prid

cess Margaretta is not a widow, not--not a relation of

r's reference which perhaps would startle you. It isn't always them, yo

person whom you assert to be your wife, has, h

odest pride disappeared w

k? Not quite to R

me with her own lips that she was

an again to wr

, what hav

calls herself the Princess Margaretta, then she has been guilty of the most impudent

self to his full height--five foot three inches. He turn

wife a swindler, yo

asto

ng a grocer's wife, calls herself a widow, in possession of a large fortun

ords. Then, to my surprise and my disgust, he began to

a'n't! She's no more a swindler than you

Mr Dowsett? Wh

duchess. I've been reading about such a beautiful duchess. Let's pretend I'm her.' So we did, just her and me. I called her 'Your Grace,' and all. We kept it up for nearly a month. Then she said, 'Jimmy, I'm tired of being a duchess. I've been reading such a lovely story about

credible. But then man's capacity of imbecility is incredible. Consider how a ma

to allow your wife to come to Beach

y busy this year, and Eliza was anxious for a chang

he has given you no hint of what s

at was true in them and what was make-believe. She did say that she told every one that she was a Princess, and that every one took her for one; but I never thought for a moment she was in earnest. Though goodness knows that she's clever enough,

ious couple, I apprehend, Mr Dowsett, than you and the--lady whom I know as the Princess Margaretta. Although you d

f the "Parade Hotel," the li

at she was stopping at the biggest hotel in the place. But

He seemed to be in a state of considerable agitat

e landing. When he comes to, tell him that I shall be per

e explicit. We did not find Crookshanks lying senseless on the landing. We met him

Grimshaw d

n to me in a sort

's just g

uite sure

He just no

afraid he might be

n off his mind. I had expected better things of Crookshanks. But pe

ares. Quite a dramatic little scene seemed to be taking place within. Old Douglas and Mr Macbride appeared t

in with me, she came dashing forw

n the presence of us all. "You dear, I'm so glad you've c

y as a king when he had her in his arm

t being the Princess Margaretta--to think of that minx's brazen impudence! Every one got back his own again. I even

r been the same since the incid