containing some account of the viscountess dowager bellair.
the viscountess dowager bellair was the last remaining link between the two centuries. herself born of a noble family, and distinguished both for her beauty and her wit, she had reigned for a quarter of a century the favourite subject of sir joshua; had flirted with lord carlisle, and chatted with dr. johnson. but the most remarkable quality of her ladyship’s destiny was her preservation. time, that had rolled on nearly a century since her birth, had spared alike her physical and mental powers. she was almost as active in body, and quite as lively in mind, as when seventy years before she skipped in marylebone gardens, or puzzled the gentlemen of the tuesday night club at mrs. cornely’s masquerades. these wonderful seventy years indeed had passed to lady bellair like one of those very masked balls in which she had formerly sparkled; she had lived in a perpetual crowd of strange and brilliant characters. all that had been famous for beauty, rank, fashion, wit, genius, had been gathered round her throne; and at this very hour a fresh and admiring generation, distinguished for these qualities, cheerfully acknowledged her supremacy, and paid to her their homage. the heroes and heroines of her youth, her middle life, even of her old age, had vanished; brilliant orators, profound statesmen, inspired bards, ripe scholars, illustrious warriors; beauties whose dazzling charms had turned the world mad; choice spirits, whose flying words or whose fanciful manners made every saloon smile or wonder—all had disappeared. she had witnessed revolutions in every country in the world; she remembered brighton a fishing-town, and manchester a village; she had shared the pomp of nabobs and the profusion of loan-mongers; she had stimulated the early ambition of charles fox, and had sympathised with the last aspirations of george canning; she had been the confidant of the loves alike of byron and alfieri; had worn mourning for general wolfe, and given a festival to the duke of wellington; had laughed with george selwyn, and smiled at lord alvanley; had known the first macaroni and the last dandy; remembered the gunnings, and introduced the sheridans! but she herself was unchanged; still restless for novelty, still eager for amusement; still anxiously watching the entrance on the stage of some new stream of characters, and indefatigable in attracting the notice of everyone whose talents might contribute to her entertainment, or whose attention might gratify her vanity. and, really, when one recollected lady bel-lair’s long career, and witnessed at the same time her diminutive form and her unrivalled vitality, he might almost be tempted to believe, that if not absolutely immortal, it was at least her strange destiny not so much vulgarly to die, as to grow like the heroine of the fairy tale, each year smaller and smaller,
‘fine by degrees, and beautifully less,’
until her ladyship might at length subside into airy nothingness, and so rather vanish than expire.
it was the fashion to say that her ladyship had no heart; in most instances an unmeaning phrase; in her case certainly an unjust one. ninety years of experience had assuredly not been thrown away on a mind of remarkable acuteness; but lady bellair’s feelings were still quick and warm, and could be even profound. her fancy was so lively, that her attention was soon engaged; her taste so refined, that her affection was not so easily obtained. hence she acquired a character for caprice, because she repented at leisure those first impressions which with her were irresistible; for, in truth, lady bellair, though she had nearly completed her century, and had passed her whole life in the most artificial circles, was the very creature of impulse. her first homage she always declared was paid to talent, her second to beauty, her third to blood. the favoured individual who might combine these three splendid qualifications, was, with lady bellair, a nymph, or a demi-god. as for mere wealth, she really despised it, though she liked her favourites to be rich.
her knowledge of human nature, which was considerable, her acquaintance with human weaknesses, which was unrivalled, were not thrown away upon lady bellair. her ladyship’s perception of character was fine and quick, and nothing delighted her so much as making a person a tool. capable, where her heart was touched, of the finest sympathy and the most generous actions, where her feelings were not engaged she experienced no compunction in turning her companions to account, or, indeed, sometimes in honouring them with her intimacy for that purpose. but if you had the skill to detect her plots, and the courage to make her aware of your consciousness of them, you never displeased her, and often gained her friendship. for lady bellair had a fine taste for humour, and when she chose to be candid, an indulgence which was not rare with her, she could dissect her own character and conduct with equal spirit and impartiality. in her own instance it cannot be denied that she comprised the three great qualifications she so much prized: for she was very witty; had blood in her veins, to use her own expression; and was the prettiest woman in the world, for her years. for the rest, though no person was more highly bred, she could be very impertinent; but if you treated her with servility, she absolutely loathed you.
lady bellair, after the london season, always spent two or three months at bath, and then proceeded to her great grandson’s, the present viscount’s, seat in the north, where she remained until london was again attractive. part of her domestic diplomacy was employed each year, during her bath visit, in discovering some old friend, or making some new acquaintance, who would bear her in safety, and save her harmless from all expenses and dangers of the road, to northumberland; and she displayed often in these arrangements talents which talleyrand might have envied. during the present season, mrs. montgomery floyd, the widow of a rich east indian, whose intention it was to proceed to her estate in scotland at the end of the autumn, had been presented to lady bellair by a friend well acquainted with her ladyship’s desired arrangements. what an invaluable acquaintance at such a moment for lady bellair! mrs. montgomery floyd, very rich and very anxious to be fashionable, was intoxicated with the flattering condescension and anticipated companionship of lady bellair. at first lady bellair had quietly suggested that they should travel together to northumberland. mrs. montgomery floyd was enchanted with the proposal. then lady bellair regretted that her servant was very ill, and that she must send her to town immediately in her own carriage; and then mrs. montgomery floyd insisted, in spite of the offers of lady bellair, that her ladyship should take a seat in her carriage, and would not for an instant hear of lady bellair defraying, under such circumstances, any portion of the expense. lady bellair held out to the dazzled vision of mrs. montgomery floyd a brilliant perspective of the noble lords and wealthy squires whose splendid seats, under the auspices of lady bellair, they were to make their resting-places during their progress; and in time lady bellair, who had a particular fancy for her own carriage, proposed that her servants should travel in that of mrs. montgomery floyd. mrs. montgomery floyd smiled a too willing assent. it ended by mrs. montgomery floyd’s servants travelling to lord bellair’s, where their mistress was to meet them, in that lady’s own carriage, and lady bellair travelling in her own chariot with her own servants, and mrs. montgomery floyd defraying the expenditure of both expeditions.
