she suggests, the
first year might probably have seen a beaten wife and a deceived
husband, cursing their marriage chain.

Now they are happy in their doom,
For Pope has writ upon their tomb.

On Lady Mary's return the intimacy was continued. She took a house at
Twickenham. He got Kneller to paint her portrait, and wrote letters
expressive of humble adoration. But the tone which did well enough when
the pair were separated by the whole breadth of Europe, was less
suitable when they were in the same parish. After a time the intimacy
faded and changed into mutual antipathy. The specific cause of the
quarrel, if cause there was, has not been clearly revealed. One account,
said to come from Lady Mary, is at least not intrinsically[10]
improbable. According to this story, the unfortunate poet forgot for a
moment that he was a contemptible cripple, and forgot also the existence
of Mr. Edward Wortley Montagu, and a passionate declaration of love drew
from the lady an "immoderate fit of laughter." Ever afterwards, it is
added, he was her implacable enemy. Doubtless, if the story be true,
Lady Mary acted like a sensible woman of the world, and Pope was silly
as well as immoral. And yet one cannot refuse some pity to the
unfortunate wretch, thus roughly jerked back into the consciousness
that a fine lady might make a pretty plaything of him, but could not
seriously regard him with anything but scorn. Whatever the precise
facts, a breach of some sort might have been anticipated. A game of
gallantry in which the natural parts are inverted, and the gentleman
acts the sentimentalist to the lady's performance of the shrewd cynic,
is likely to have awkward results. Pope brooded over his resentment, and
years afterwards took a revenge only too characteristic. The first of
his Imitations of Horace appeared in 1733. It contained a couplet, too
gross for quotation, making the most outrageous imputation upon the
character of "Sappho." Now, the accusation itself had no relation
whatever either to facts or even (as I suppose) to any existing scandal.
It was simply throwing filth at random. Thus, when Lady Mary took it to
herself, and applied to Pope through Peterborough for an explanation,
Pope could make a defence verbally impregnable. There was no reason why
Lady Mary should fancy that such a cap fitted; and it was far more
appropriate, as he added, to other women notorious for immorality as
well as authorship. In fact, however,