Part 38 (1/2)
”Abigail Hill!” she would murmur even in her sleep. The woman was becoming an obsession.
”To think that I took her from a broom!” she would say apropos of nothing. There was no rest from the subject.
Marlborough, more philosophical than his wife, tried to soothe her and at the same time warn her. He might have said that it was her overbearing behaviour which had brought about the rift, which would have been true, but he refrained. He knew his Sarah and he loved her for what she was; and in any case had always known it was useless to try and change her.
Therein lay the success of their relations.h.i.+p, although some said that Marlborough was so devoted to his Sarah because he was forced to spend so much time away from her.
”Do not distress yourself so,” he begged her. ”Give up struggling against the wind and the tide.”
”Give up everything to that chambermaid.”
”You are only distressing yourself and not making the Queen more fond of you. You'll never get her friends.h.i.+p back by railing against Masham.”
”I'll force her to be friends again!”
Dear Sarah. Such energy, and so little knowledge of human nature!
He was tired, feeling his age. There had been moments of grandeur in his life but to what were they leading? Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde ... and others-and what was the result? Loss of favour at home; his enemies working to oust him from politics if not from the Army; the peace he had hoped to make had not been achieved. He had wanted to take the war right to the gates of Paris and then he would have been able to make demands which Louis would have had to accept. But the Dutch were uneasy allies. As soon as he had made their frontiers safe for them, they wanted to have done with war.
And he himself? One could not be young for ever. Strangely enough he cared more for Sarah's disappointments than for his own; but she would take no advice. She had listened to him more than to most, but she believed that she alone was capable of decision.
”It is no use hiding ourselves here,” she said, ”while Abigail Hill and her friend Harley plot against us. Tomorrow I shall go to the Queen.”
In vain did Marlborough beg her not to act rashly. Sarah believed that eventually she would wear down the Queen's resistance.
How peaceful it was without Sarah at Court! thought Anne. It had been an exhausting time, giving constant audiences to her ministers. It seemed that they now realized that George was not so insignificant as they had once believed him to be. He had always been so good natured and never a troublemaker, so that they had been apt to overlook his strength.
The Queen had always liked to listen to his advice on state matters, even if she had not taken it; and his presence at the interviews gave her confidence. Moreover, he had a way of cutting short an interview which had gone on too long by showing his impatience for his dinner; which might seem a frivolous excuse for cutting short a conference, but was effective.
”Dearest George! What shall I do without him?” sighed the Queen.
There was Masham, always ready to help, always eager to comfort.
”At least you are left to me, dear Masham,” she said.
Abigail replied with fervour that she hoped to serve the Queen as long as she lived; she would ask nothing more of life.
”It is at such grievous times as this that we know our friends,” said the Queen.
”The Prince was the kindest of masters,” murmured Abigail. ”Poor Masham is desolate.”
”Poor faithful Masham!” agreed the Queen. ”The Prince always relied on him. He is a good man and I am glad you chose him for your husband.”
”I do not know how to comfort him, Madam. He is without one whom he revered and he has nothing with which to occupy his mind. I tell him the sooner he finds something to do the better. The Prince would not have wished him to grieve.”
”No,” she said. ”Poor Masham! He has lost not only the kindest master in the world but his position.”
”I think he would like to join the Army, or to go into politics, Madam.”
”Well, he is following a n.o.ble example.”
”You mean the Duke's.”
”Mr. Harley tells me that he wishes to govern the country as well as the army.”
”Mr. Harley is Your Majesty's most brilliant statesman and he is very likely right. But poor Masham is no Marlborough, Madam. He would, I suppose, be grateful for a humble post ... something to take his mind off this dreadful loss.”
”I understand, Masham. It is what the Prince would wish.”
”Your Majesty and the Prince were always in harmony. I declare it was a lesson for all married people merely to see you together.”
The Queen put her hand to her eyes and Abigail brought the handkerchief with which to wipe away the tears.
Marlborough returned to the Continent to open a new campaign, and Sarah came to Court. But she could not now walk into the Queen's apartments and scatter all those who were in attendance. She must ask for an audience and await the Queen's pleasure.
She was constantly seeking openings to see the Queen, to bully her into returning to the old relations.h.i.+p. She found an opportunity to see her when she wanted her apartments to be extended and sent in a request that a few small rooms adjoining this apartment might be a.s.signed to her. The reply came back that the Queen had already promised these rooms to one of her women.
Sarah was furiously frustrated. How dare Anne send her messages in this aloof fas.h.i.+on, as though she were some unknown person soliciting a favour!
She summoned Danvers whom she could still terrify.
”Is this true?” she demanded.
”Yes, Your Grace. The rooms are promised.”
”Which woman has them?” Sarah wanted to know, believing that if she made her wishes known the rooms would be relinquished.
”Alice Hill, Your Grace.”
”Alice Hill!” screamed Sarah. ”Sister of the ... chambermaid.”
”She is Mrs. Masham's sister, Your Grace.”
”That's who I mean,” cried Sarah.
”She has been given these rooms, Your Grace. Mrs. Masham thought those she had before were unsuitable.”
”But I wanted them! I shall see the Queen. I refuse to be treated in this way. Do you know, Danvers, that I took that woman from a broom.”
”Your Grace has mentioned it.”
”And now she seeks to direct me.”
”That, Your Grace, would be quite impossible.”
”It is impossible!” cried Sarah.
At length she forced herself into the Queen's presence. Anne was clearly fretful, playing with her fan, her eyes on the door, wondering, thought Sarah grimly, whether she can ask me to summon Masham. Dear Masham! Kind Masham! Who coos in her ear and gets favours for her good-for-nothing brother and ninny of a husband and ... Sarah could have screamed in her rage ... for that sly toad, that monster, that traitor Robert Harley.
”It would seem that Mrs. Morley sets out to frustrate me,” she cried. The Queen closed her eyes and looked tired.