of
the Newcomes now extant were born, and surely therefore are out of the
province of this contemporary biography. Lady Kew was indignant with her
daughter (there were some moments when any conduct of her friends did
not meet her ladyship's approbation) even for the scant civility with
which Lady Anne had received the Duchess's advances. "Leave a card
upon her!--yes, send a card by one of your footmen; but go in to see
her--because she was at the window and saw you drive up.--Are you mad,
Anne? That was the very reason you should not have come out of your
carriage. But you are so weak and good-natured, that if a highwayman
stopped you, you would say, 'Thank you, sir,' as you gave him your
purse: yes, and if Mrs. Macheath called on you afterwards you would
return the visit!"

Even had these speeches been made about the Duchess, and some of them
not addressed to her, things might have gone on pretty well. If we
quarrelled with all the people who abuse us behind our backs, and began
to tear their eyes out as soon as we set ours on them, what a life it
would be, and when should we have any quiet? Backbiting is all fair in
society. Abuse me, and I will abuse you; but let us be friends when we
meet. Have not we all entered a dozen rooms, and been sure, from
the countenances of the amiable persons present, that they had been
discussing our little peculiarities, perhaps as we were on the stairs?
Was our visit, therefore, the less agreeable? Did we quarrel and say
hard words to one another's faces? No--we wait until some of our dear
friends take their leave, and then comes our turn. My back is at my
neighbour's service; as soon as that is turned let him make what
faces he thinks proper: but when we meet we grin and shake hands like
well-bred folk, to whom clean linen is not more necessary than a clean
sweet-looking countenance, and a nicely got-up smile, for company.

Here was Lady Kew's mistake. She wanted, for some reason, to drive
Madame d'Ivry out of Baden; and thought there were no better means of
effecting this object than by using the high hand, and practising those
frowns upon the Duchess which had scared away so many other persons. But
the Queen of Scots was resolute, too, and her band of courtiers fought
stoutly round about her. Some of them could not pay their bills, and
could not retreat: others had courage, and did not choose to fly.
Instead of coaxing and soothing Madame d'Ivry, Madame de Kew thought by
a brisk a