Part 29 (1/2)
Hill came and stood demurely before her, but there was alarm in the good creature's eyes. ”Your Majesty is unwell?”
Anne shook her head. ”I am ... disturbed. I think my eyes deceive me. Yours are younger. Read this to me. Begin there.”
Abigail read in a clear distinct voice: ”... Mr. and Mrs. Morley may see their errors as to this nation ...”
There! She had read it. It was true. Abigail was staring at the Queen with round horrified eyes.
”But, Madam ...”
”It is most uncalled for!” cried the Queen, almost in tears, ”the welfare of the nation has been my chief concern since I came to the throne.”
”Madam,” said Abigail. ”I am overcome with shame that a connection of mine could be capable of such ... such falsehood.”
”There, Hill. You must not be upset. She has whipped herself to a fury, I suppose. I shall try to forget it.”
”And Your Majesty wishes to answer this ... insult.”
”No, Hill, I think I shall ignore it.”
It was Lord G.o.dolphin who heard the reason for the Queen's silence. She showed him the letter.
”It would seem,” said Anne coolly, ”that the d.u.c.h.ess of Marlborough forgets that I am the Queen.”
He read the letter and stuttered over it.
”But, Madam,” he said, ”the word is not nation. It is notion.”
”Notion,” repeated Anne. ”... may see their errors as to this notion ... That is different, of course. But you will agree with me, my lord Treasurer, that the tone of the letter is scarcely that of a subject to her Sovereign.”
G.o.dolphin smiled apologetically. ”The relations.h.i.+p between Your Majesty and the d.u.c.h.ess has not always been that of Sovereign and subject. I will tell the d.u.c.h.ess of this unfortunate mistake and I doubt not that she will wish to write you an apology.”
Anne was pleased, for although this matter of Sunderland was very tiresome indeed she could not bear to be on bad terms with Sarah.
In due course Sarah's ”apology” reached the Queen.
”Your Majesty's great indifference and contempt in taking no notice of my last letter, did not so much surprise me as to hear my Lord Treasurer say you had complained much of it, which makes me presume to give you this trouble to repeat what I can be very positive was the aim of the letter and I believe very near the words....”
She then set out more or less what she had written in the previous letter in the same high-handed manner and gave it into G.o.dolphin's hands to deliver.
Anne however still kept her resentment against Sarah and confided to Abigail that she was heartily sick of this matter of Sunderland and the Secretarys.h.i.+p; and G.o.dolphin was obliged to report to Sarah that she was no nearer her goal than she had been when the unfortunate letter writing had begun.
But Sarah was more determined than ever to have her way and she wrote to the Duke and told him that he must write to her and tell her that if the Queen did not make Sunderland Secretary of State he would resign from the Queen's armies.
When Marlborough realized that the Whigs would withdraw their support unless Sunderland received the appointment he was obliged to give his consent; and this letter Sarah sent to the Queen.
It was the ultimatum. Anne needed Marlborough, and she could not endure the thought of Sarah's leaving Court.
She gave way, because there was nothing else to do. But she was resentful.
She sat silently while Abigail poulticed her feet, and when Sarah's name was mentioned her lips hardened, her fan went to her lips and stayed there.
THE MASHAM MARRIAGE.
arley, watching events closely, was not sure how great a victory this was for the Churchills; indeed he was hoping that it might be turned to a defeat. Anne had been shown that she had not a free hand to choose her ministers. It was a blow for her. With the appointment of Sunderland the Tories were now out of the Privy Council; the Whigs were in power and the only Tories who remained in office were Robert Harley and Henry St. John, two men on whom Marlborough and G.o.dolphin had believed they could rely.
Sarah was triumphant. She was more arrogant than ever.
But Abigail was aware of a great confidence which had come to Robert Harley; and she shared in it.
She had told the Queen that Samuel Masham had asked her to marry him and Anne was delighted. She would give the marriage her blessing, which meant a handsome dowry as well; and she did not suggest that Sarah should be told.
That was significant. The relations.h.i.+p between Mrs. Morley and Mrs. Freeman had not been strengthened by Mrs. Freeman's victory.
There seemed no reason why Abigail's marriage should be delayed any longer. Samuel was eager for it and Abigail was willing.
Dr. Arbuthnot, the Queen's Scottish doctor, who had learned to admire and respect Abigail during their encounters in the sick room, was interested in the couple.
”I would not care,” he had said, ”to see Your Majesty bereft of Mrs. Hill. This is a marriage after my own heart, for the bride's home will still be in Your Majesty's bedchamber.”
”I am pleased too,” agreed Anne, ”for I could not do without Hill. And it is a great pleasure to me to see her happy. I have had the best husband in the world and my marriage would have been completely happy if it had been ... fruitful.”
”Well we'll hope that Mrs. Hill enjoys both the felicity and the fruit, Madam.”
”I shall pray that she does.”
”And when is the ceremony to take place, Madam?”
”You must consult Hill about that, Dr. Arbuthnot,” said the Queen benignly.
So the doctor did. It was difficult, Abigail explained. She could scarcely expect to be married in the royal apartments, and she was anxious for the marriage to remain something of a secret for a time. She and Samuel wanted no hindrances.
Dr. Arbuthnot nodded. Like Abigail he was thinking of the d.u.c.h.ess of Marlborough. She had no right to interfere with Abigail's marriage, but she was not one to look for a right before interfering.
This matter of Sunderland had in Arbuthnot's opinion not helped the Queen's health. He had said to his wife: ”The more we keep that woman from the Court the better for Her Majesty.”
”Mrs. Arbuthnot would take it an honour if you were wedded in our apartment,” he said.
Abigail's plain face was alight with pleasure.
”Oh, doctor, that is kind of you and Mrs. Arbuthnot!”
”Get away with ye,” said the doctor. ”We'll be glad to do a turn for you.”
When Abigail went back to the Queen, Anne noticed that she was looking pleased and Abigail told her of Dr. Arbuthnot's suggestion.
”He is a good man,” said Anne. ”I am pleased. Sit down, Hill. Oh dear, I shall have to learn to call you Masham. I shall come to the wedding to give you my blessing, my dear.”