“Yes,” said Lord Maysworth, “it is true, it rests with them alone to decide the question; and for this reason do you not think it will be as well, my lords, for each of us to repair to his country seat, and endeavour, by his influence in the neighbourhood, to procure the election of such deputies as may be disposed to vote favourably to our wishes?”
“The plan is excellent;” cried Dr. Hardman.
“Excellent!” exclaimed Lord Gustavus.
“Excellent!” echoed his attendant satellites.
“Then it only remains for us to put it in execution,” said Lord Maysworth.
“If the princess will excuse my absence—” began Lord Gustavus.
“Oh, my Lord!” interrupted Rosabella hastily, for she dreaded his long speeches beyond the power of description, “think not of me: I must be, indeed, unreasonable, if I could complain of your absence, when it is for my service you will be employed.”
“The princess speaks like an oracle,” said Dr. Hardman; “and I think we cannot do better than put her wishes in execution.”
“Farewell then, my friends,” said Rosabella, her voice trembling with emotion as they parted, “and may success attend you; for the present, my poverty, in all but gratitude, prevents my wishes; but the time may come, when you shall find the powerful Queen will not forget the favours conferred upon the dependant princess.”
“Oh!” cried the noble lords and Dr. Hardman, “do not mention reward; patriotism and the disinterested love of our country alone dictate our actions—we think of nothing else!”
“ ’Twould be treason, and worse than blasphemy,” said Prince Ferdinand, “to mingle the thought of self-interest with such purposes. Who indeed can see the Princess Rosabella, and suffer the paltry thought of self to interfere with his devotion to her interests?”
Rosabella smiled graciously upon the youthful speaker, though she did not speak.
“If, however,” said Lord Maysworth, “the interests of the state should require a general more experienced than Lord Edmund, I have served, and I would willingly forego the transports of domestic peace to devote myself to the welfare of my country.”
“Or, if the state should need a minister,” observed Lord Gustavus, “thinking as I think, and as I am sure everyone who hears me must think, or at least, ought to think, she has a right to command the services, even of one so devoted to retirement as myself.”
“For my part,” said Dr. Hardman, “I wish neither place nor pension; but if my humble services in a medical capacity—”
“Fear not,” returned Rosabella, “but that all your wishes shall be gratified; for, if I should be Queen, I shall only regard myself as an agent to dispense my power to the hands of those most worthy of it.”
As she said this she withdrew, having the rare happiness to leave all her auditors perfectly satisfied with her conduct. In fact, such was their delight, that each stood for some moments after her departure lost in contemplation, indulging in daydreams of the delightful anticipations her words and manner had excited, till, like Farmer Ashfield and his dame in Speed the Plough, they were in imminent danger of running foul of each other in their abstraction: the entrance of a servant, however, roused them from their reveries; and, feeling somewhat ashamed of having so far forgotten the dignified sentiments they had been professing, they retired to their respective homes to take measures to put the scheme that had been suggested into execution.
“How I hate that Lord Gustavus,” exclaimed Rosabella when she reached her boudoir. “Even if he makes a sensible observation, he adds so many explanations to it, that the spirit evaporates.”
“Yes,” returned Marianne, “he has yet to learn, that to tack explanations to wit, is like adding water to wine; you diminish its strength and spoil its flavour: but even he is preferable to Lord Maysworth.”
“Oh! I don’t think so,” cried Rosabella, “for a ridiculous fool is always better than a prosing one. I can laugh at Lord Maysworth, but Lord Gustavus sends me to sleep.”
“When an important enterprise is undertaken,” said Marianne, “it will not do to be very scrupulous about the tools one employs to accomplish it. It is the part of a man of talent to discover the weaknesses of the human beings around him, and make them each subservient to his purpose.”
“At any rate, that is not difficult in my case,” rejoined Rosabella; “for my good friends are so eager to show themselves off, that, I must do them the justice to say, they neither give me the trouble to find out their weaknesses, nor the way to win them. Prince Ferdinand is the only one who possesses a single spark of noble feeling.”
“And he, I think you say, seemed struck with your appearance?”
“He appeared to be so.”
“We must improve that prepossession. The alliance of Germany may be invaluable to us. You must encourage the hopes of the prince, and do all you can to fan his infant passion into a flame.”
“But I love Edmund.”
“Pshaw! how can you be so childish? I do not wish you to love Prince Ferdinand. If you can contrive to make him love you, it will be all that is necessary.”
“But do you consider the cruelty of trifling with his feelings?”
Marianne laughed. “I did not imagine you so romantic,” said she tauntingly. “Do not alarm yourself; the rage for dying of love is gone by: therefore, notwithstanding the power of your charms, you must excuse me, if I presume to doubt their murderous properties.”
Rosabella was too much mortified by the manner in which her confidant treated her scruples, to wish to continue the conversation; though the reasoning of Marianne produced its full effect upon her mind, and even, in spite of herself, influenced her conduct.
In the meantime, the family of the Duke experienced considerable uneasiness on account of Clara, whose health gradually
