The Palliser Novels (228 page)

Before the meeting took place, Mr. Camperdown had been at work, looking over old deeds. It is undoubtedly the case that things often become complicated which, from the greatness of their importance, should have been kept clear as running water. The diamonds in question had been bought, with other jewels, by Sir Florian’s grandfather, on the occasion of his marriage with the daughter of a certain duke, — on which occasion old family jewels, which were said to have been heirlooms, were sold or given in exchange as part value for those then purchased. This grandfather, who had also been Sir Florian in his time, had expressly stated in his will that these jewels were to be regarded as an heirloom in the family, and had as such left them to his eldest son, and to that son’s eldest son, should such a child be born. His eldest son had possessed them, but not that son’s son. There was such an Eustace born, but he had died before his father. The younger son of that old Sir Florian had then succeeded, as Sir Thomas, and he was the father of that Florian who had married Lizzie Eustace. That last Sir Florian had therefore been the fourth in succession from the old Sir Florian by whom the will had been made, and who had directed that these jewels should be regarded as heirlooms in the family. The two intermediate baronets had made no allusion to the diamonds in any deeds executed by them. Indeed, Sir Florian’s father had died without a will. There were other jewels, larger but much less valuable than the diamonds, still in the hands of the Messrs. Garnett, as to which no question was raised. The late Sir Florian had, by his will, left all the property in his house at Portray to his widow, but all property elsewhere to his heir. This was what Mr. Camperdown had at last learned, but he had been forced to admit to himself, while learning this, that there was confusion.

He was confident enough, however, that there was no difficulty in the matter. The Messrs. Garnett were able to say that the necklace had been in their keeping, with various other jewels still in their possession, from the time of the death of the late Lady Eustace, up to the marriage of the late Sir Florian, her son. They stated the date on which the jewels were given up to be the 24th of September, which was the day after Sir Florian’s return from Scotland with his bride. Lizzie’s first statement had coincided with this entry in the Messrs. Garnett’s books; but latterly she had asserted that the necklace had been given to her in Scotland. When Mr. Camperdown examined the entry himself in the jewellers’ book, he found the figures to be so blotted that they might represent either the 4th or 24th September. Now, the 4th September had been the day preceding Sir Florian’s marriage. John Eustace only knew that he had seen the necklace worn in Scotland by his mother. The bishop only knew that he had often seen them on the neck of his sister-in-law when, as was very often the case, she appeared in full-blown society. Mr. Camperdown believed that he had traced two stories to Lizzie, — one, repeated more than once, that the diamonds had been given to her in London, and a second, made to himself, that they had been given to her at Portray. He himself believed that they had never been in Scotland since the death of the former Lady Eustace; but he was quite confident that he could trust altogether to the disposition made of them by the old Sir Florian. There could be no doubt as to these being the diamonds there described, although the setting had been altered. Old Mr. Garnett stated that he would swear to them if he saw the necklace.

“You cannot suppose that Lady Eustace wishes to keep anything that is not her own,” said Frank Greystock.

“Of course not,” said John Eustace.

“Nobody imagines it,” said Mr. Camperdown. Lord Fawn, who felt that he ought not to be there, and who did not know whether he might with a better grace take Lizzie’s part or a part against her, said nothing. “But,” continued Mr. Camperdown, “there is luckily no doubt as to the facts. The diamonds in question formed a part of a set of most valuable ornaments settled in the family by Sir Florian Eustace in 1799. The deed was drawn up by my grandfather, and is now here. I do not know how we are to have further proof. Will you look at the deed, Mr. Greystock, and at the will?” Frank suggested that, as it might probably be expedient to take advice on the subject professionally, he had rather not look at the deed. Anything which he might say, on looking at the document now, could have no weight. “But why should any advice be necessary,” said Mr. Camperdown, “when the matter is so clear?”

“My dear sir,” said Frank, “my cousin, Lady Eustace, is strong in her confidence that her late husband intended to give them to her as her own, and that he would not have done this without the power of doing so.” Now, Mr. Camperdown was quite sure that Lizzie was lying in this, and could therefore make no adequate answer. “Your experience must probably have told you,” continued Frank, “that there is considerable difficulty in dealing with the matter of heirlooms.”

“I never heard of any such difficulty,” said Mr. Camperdown.

“People generally understand it all so clearly,” said Lord Fawn.

“The late Sir Florian does not appear to have understood it very clearly,” said Frank.

“Let her put them into the hands of any indifferent person or firm till the matter is decided,” said Mr. Camperdown. “They will be much safer so than in her keeping.”

“I think they are quite safe,” said Frank.

And this was all that took place at that meeting. As Mr. Camperdown said to John Eustace, it was manifest enough that she meant “to hang on to them.” “I only hope Lord Fawn will not be fool enough to marry her,” said Mr. Camperdown. Lord Fawn himself was of the same way of thinking; — but then how was he to clear his character of the charge which would be brought against him; and how was he to stand his ground before Frank Greystock?

Let it not be supposed that Lady Eustace, during these summer weeks, was living the life of a recluse. The London season was in its full splendour, and she was by no means a recluse. During the first year of her widowhood she had been every inch a widow, — as far as crape would go, and a quiet life either at Bobsborough or Portray Castle. During this year her child was born, — and she was in every way thrown upon her good behaviour, living with bishops’ wives and deans’ daughters. Two years of retreat from the world is generally thought to be the proper thing for a widow. Lizzie had not quite accomplished her two years before she re-opened the campaign in Mount Street with very small remnants of weeds, and with her crape brought down to a minimum; — but she was young and rich, and the world is aware that a woman of twenty-two can hardly afford to sacrifice two whole years. In the matter of her widowhood Lizzie did not encounter very much reproach. She was not shunned, or so ill spoken of as to have a widely-spread bad name among the streets and squares in which her carriage-wheels rolled. People called her a flirt, held up their hands in surprise at Sir Florian’s foolish generosity, — for the accounts of Lizzie’s wealth were greatly exaggerated, — and said that of course she would marry again.

The general belief which often seizes upon the world in regard to some special falsehood is very surprising. Everybody on a sudden adopts an idea that some particular man is over head and ears in debt, so that he can hardly leave his house for fear of the bailiffs; — or that some ill-fated woman is cruelly ill-used by her husband; — or that some eldest son has ruined his father; whereas the man doesn’t owe a shilling, the woman never hears a harsh word from her lord, and the eldest son in question has never succeeded in obtaining a shilling beyond his allowance. One of the lies about London this season was founded on the extent of Lady Eustace’s jointure. Indeed, the lie went on to state that the jointure was more than a jointure. It was believed that the property in Ayrshire was her own, to do what she pleased with it. That the property in Ayrshire was taken at double its value was a matter of course. It had been declared, at the time of his marriage, that Sir Florian had been especially generous to his penniless wife, and the generosity was magnified in the ordinary way. No doubt Lizzie’s own diligence had done much to propagate the story as to her positive ownership of Portray. Mr. Camperdown had been very busy denying this. John Eustace had denied it whenever occasion offered. The bishop in his quiet way had denied it. Lady Linlithgow had denied it. But the lie had been set on foot and had thriven, and there was hardly a man about town who didn’t know that Lady Eustace had eight or nine thousand a year, altogether at her own disposal, down in Scotland. Of course a woman so endowed, so rich, so beautiful, so clever, so young, would marry again, and would marry well. No doubt, added to this there was a feeling that “Lizzie,” as she was not uncommonly called by people who had hardly ever seen her, had something amiss with it all. “I don’t know where it is she’s lame,” said that very clever man, Captain Boodle, who had lately reappeared among his military friends at his club, “but she don’t go flat all round.”

“She has the devil of a temper, no doubt,” said Lieutenant Griggs.

“No mouth, I should say,” said Boodle. It was thus that Lizzie was talked about at the clubs; but she was asked to dinners and balls, and gave little dinners herself, and to a certain extent was the fashion. Everybody had declared that of course she would marry again, and now it was known everywhere that she was engaged to Lord Fawn.

“Poor dear Lord Fawn!” said Lady Glencora Palliser to her dear friend Madame Max Goesler; “do you remember how violently he was in love with Violet Effingham two years ago?”

“Two years is a long time, Lady Glencora; and Violet Effingham has chosen another husband.”

“But isn’t this a fall for him? Violet was the sweetest girl out, and at one time I really thought she meant to take him.”

“I thought she meant to take another man whom she did not take,” said Madame Goesler, who had her own recollections, who was a widow herself, and who, at the period to which Lady Glencora was referring, had thought that perhaps she might cease to be a widow. Not that she had ever suggested to herself that Lord Fawn might be her second husband.

“Poor Lord Fawn!” continued Lady Glencora. “I suppose he is terribly in want of money.”

“But surely Lady Eustace is very pretty.”

“Yes; — she is very pretty; nay more, she is quite lovely to look at. And she is clever, — very. And she is rich, — very.
But — “

“Well, Lady Glencora. What does your ‘but’ mean?”

“Who ever explains a ‘but’? You’re a great deal too clever, Madame Goesler, to want any explanation. And I couldn’t explain it. I can only say I’m sorry for poor Lord Fawn, — who is a gentleman, but will never set the Thames on fire.”

“No, indeed. All the same, I like Lord Fawn extremely,” said Madame Goesler, “and I think he’s just the man to marry Lady Eustace. He’s always at his office or at the House.”

“A man may be a great deal at his office, and a great deal more at the House than Lord Fawn,” said Lady Glencora laughing, “and yet think about his wife, my dear.” For of all men known, no man spent more hours at the House or in his office than did Lady Glencora’s husband, Mr. Palliser, who at this time, and had now for more than two years, filled the high place of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

This conversation took place in Madame Goesler’s little drawing-room in Park Lane; but, three days after this, the same two ladies met again at the house then occupied by Lady Chiltern in Portman Square, — Lady Chiltern, with whom, as Violet Effingham, poor Lord Fawn had been much in love. “I think it is the nicest match in the world for him,” Lady Chiltern had said to Madame Goesler.

“But have you heard of the diamonds?” asked Lady Glencora.

“What diamonds?” “Whose diamonds?” Neither of the others had heard of the diamonds, and Lady Glencora was able to tell her story. Lady Eustace had found all the family jewels belonging to the Eustace family in the strong plate room at Portray Castle, and had taken possession of them as property found in her own house. John Eustace and the bishop had combined in demanding them on behalf of the heir, and a lawsuit had then commenced! The diamonds were the most costly belonging to any Commoner in England, and had been valued at twenty-four thousand pounds! Lord Fawn had retreated from his engagement the moment he heard that any doubt was thrown on Lady Eustace’s right to their possession! Lady Eustace had declared her intention of bringing an action against Lord Fawn, — and had also secreted the diamonds! The reader will be aware that this statement was by no means an accurate history of the difficulty as far as it had as yet progressed. It was, indeed, absolutely false in every detail; but it sufficed to show that the matter was becoming public. “You don’t mean to say that Lord Fawn is off?” asked Madame Goesler.

“I do,” said Lady Glencora.

“Poor Lord Fawn!” exclaimed Lady Chiltern. “It really seems as though he never would be settled.”

“I don’t think he has courage enough for such conduct as that,” said Madame Goesler.

“And besides, Lady Eustace’s income is quite certain,” said Lady Chiltern, “and poor dear Lord Fawn does want money so badly.”

“But it is very disagreeable,” said Lady Glencora, “to believe that your wife has got the finest diamonds in England, and then to find that she has only — stolen them. I think Lord Fawn is right. If a man does marry for money he should have the money. I wonder she ever took him. There is no doubt about her beauty, and she might have done better.”

“I won’t hear Lord Fawn be-littled,” said Lady Chiltern.

“Done better!” said Madame Goesler. “How could she have done better? He is a peer, and her son would be a peer. I don’t think she could have done better.” Lady Glencora in her time had wished to marry a man who had sought her for her money. Lady Chiltern in her time had refused to be Lady Fawn. Madame Goesler in her time had declined to marry an English peer. There was, therefore, something more of interest in the conversation to each of them than was quite expressed in the words spoken. “Is she to be at your party on Friday, Lady Glencora?” asked Madame Goesler.