gentlemen about the
Court, my Lord Bolingbroke amongst others, owned that the young lady had
come back handsomer than ever, and that the serious and tragic air which
her face now involuntarily wore became her better than her former smiles
and archness.

All the old domestics at the little house of Kensington Square were
changed; the old steward that had served the family any time these
five-and-twenty years, since the birth of the children of the house, was
despatched into the kingdom of Ireland to see my lord's estate there:
the housekeeper, who had been my lady's woman time out of mind, and the
attendant of the young children, was sent away grumbling to Walcote,
to see to the new painting and preparing of that house, which my Lady
Dowager intended to occupy for the future, giving up Castlewood to
her daughter-in-law that might be expected daily from France. Another
servant the Viscountess had was dismissed too--with a gratuity--on the
pretext that her ladyship's train of domestics must be diminished; so,
finally, there was not left in the household a single person who had
belonged to it during the time my young Lord Castlewood was yet at home.

For the plan which Colonel Esmond had in view, and the stroke he
intended, 'twas necessary that the very smallest number of persons
should be put in possession of his secret. It scarce was known, except
to three or four out of his family, and it was kept to a wonder.

On the 10th of June, 1714, there came by Mr. Prior's messenger from
Paris a letter from my Lord Viscount Castlewood to his mother, saying
that he had been foolish in regard of money matters, that he was ashamed
to own he had lost at play, and by other extravagances; and that instead
of having great entertainments as he had hoped at Castlewood this year,
he must live as quiet as he could, and make every effort to be saving.
So far every word of poor Frank's letter was true, nor was there a doubt
that he and his tall brothers-in-law had spent a great deal more than
they ought, and engaged the revenues of the Castlewood property, which
the fond mother had husbanded and improved so carefully during the time
of her guardianship.

His "Clotilda," Castlewood went on to say, "was still delicate, and her
physicians thought her lying-in had best take place at Paris. He should
come without her ladyship, and be at his mother's house about the 17th
or 18th day of June, proposing to take horse from Paris immediately,
and b