be relied on, they
did--Buckingham and De Gondomar being both reputed to have been her
lovers.

The last, however, in the list, and the one who appeared to be most
passionately enamoured of the beautiful Countess, and to receive the
largest share of her regard, was Lord Roos; and as this culpable
attachment and its consequences connect themselves intimately with our
history we have been obliged to advert to them thus particularly. Lord
Roos was a near relative of the Earl of Exeter; and although the infirm
and gouty old peer had been excessively jealous of his lovely young wife
on former occasions, when she had appeared to trifle with his honour, he
seemed perfectly easy and unsuspicious now, though there was infinitely
more cause for distrust. Possibly he had too much reliance on Lord
Roos's good feelings and principles to suspect him.

Very different was Lady Roos's conduct. This unhappy lady, whom we have
already mentioned as the daughter of Sir Thomas Lake, Secretary of
State, had the misfortune to be sincerely attached to her handsome but
profligate husband, whose neglect and frequent irregularities she had
pardoned, until the utter estrangement, occasioned by his passion for
the Countess of Exeter, filled her with such trouble, that, overpowered
at length by anguish, she complained to her mother Lady Lake,--an
ambitious and imperious woman, whose vanity had prompted her to bring
about this unfortunate match. Expressing the greatest indignation at the
treatment her daughter had experienced, Lady Lake counselled her to
resent it, undertaking herself to open the eyes of the injured Earl of
Exeter to his wife's infidelity; but she was dissuaded from her purpose
by Sir Thomas Lake. Though generally governed by his wife, Sir Thomas
succeeded, in this instance, in over-ruling her design of proceeding at
once to extremities with the guilty pair, recommending that, in the
first instance, Lord Roos should be strongly remonstrated with by Lady
Lake and her daughter, when perhaps his fears might be aroused, if his
sense of duty could not be awakened.

This final appeal had not yet been made; but an interview had taken
place between Lady Roos and her husband, at which, with many passionate
entreaties, she had implored him to shake off the thraldom in which he
had bound himself, and to return to her, when all should be forgiven and
forgotten,--but without effect.

Thus matters stood at present.

As we have seen, though th