he No-Popery
cry; the folks in the village and the neighbouring town were scared by the
sight of her ladyship's painted face and eyelids, as she bobbed her head
out of the coach window, meaning no doubt to be very gracious; and one old
woman said, "Lady Isabel! lord-a-mercy, it's Lady Jezebel!" a name by
which the enemies of the right honourable viscountess were afterwards in
the habit of designating her. The country was then in a great No-Popery
fervour, her ladyship's known conversion, and her husband's, the priest in
her train, and the service performed at the chapel of Castlewood (though
the chapel had been built for that worship before any other was heard of
in the country, and though the service was performed in the most quiet
manner), got her no favour at first in the county or village. By far the
greater part of the estate of Castlewood had been confiscated, and been
parcelled out to Commonwealth men. One or two of these old Cromwellian
soldiers were still alive in the village, and looked grimly at first upon
my lady viscountess, when she came to dwell there.

She appeared at the Hexton Assembly, bringing her lord after her, scaring
the country folks with the splendour of her diamonds, which she always
wore in public. They said she wore them in private, too, and slept with
them round her neck; though the writer can pledge his word that this was a
calumny. "If she were to take them off," my Lady Sark said, "Tom Esmond,
her husband, would run away with them and pawn them." 'Twas another
calumny. My Lady Sark was also an exile from Court, and there had been war
between the two ladies before.

The village people began to be reconciled presently to their lady, who was
generous and kind, though fantastic and haughty, in her ways; and whose
praises Dr. Tusher, the vicar, sounded loudly amongst his flock. As for my
lord, he gave no great trouble, being considered scarce more than an
appendage to my lady, who as daughter of the old lords of Castlewood, and
possessor of vast wealth, as the country folks said (though indeed
nine-tenths of it existed but in rumour), was looked upon as the real
queen of the Castle, and mistress of all it contained.

Chapter III. Whither In The Time Of Thomas, Third Viscount, I Had Preceded
Him As Page To Isabella

Coming up to London again some short time after this retreat, the Lord
Castlewood dispatched a retainer of his to a little cottage in the village
of Ealing, near to London