the infant of Tom Esmond and Isabella his wife, expelled the life out of
it, which was nothing but corruption.

The mother's natural pang at losing this poor little child must have
been increased when she thought of her rival Frank Esmond's wife, who
was a favorite of the whole Court, where my poor Lady Castlewood was
neglected, and who had one child, a daughter, flourishing and beautiful,
and was about to become a mother once more.

The Court, as I have heard, only laughed the more because the poor lady,
who had pretty well passed the age when ladies are accustomed to have
children, nevertheless determined not to give hope up, and even when she
came to live at Castlewood, was constantly sending over to Hexton for
the doctor, and announcing to her friends the arrival of an heir. This
absurdity of hers was one amongst many others which the wags used to
play upon. Indeed, to the last days of her life, my Lady Viscountess had
the comfort of fancying herself beautiful, and persisted in blooming
up to the very midst of winter, painting roses on her cheeks long after
their natural season, and attiring herself like summer though her head
was covered with snow.

Gentlemen who were about the Court of King Charles, and King James, have
told the present writer a number of stories about this queer old lady,
with which it's not necessary that posterity should be entertained. She
is said to have had great powers of invective and, if she fought with
all her rivals in King James's favor, 'tis certain she must have had
a vast number of quarrels on her hands. She was a woman of an intrepid
spirit, and, it appears, pursued and rather fatigued his Majesty with
her rights and her wrongs. Some say that the cause of her leaving Court
was jealousy of Frank Esmond's wife: others, that she was forced to