olved to have satisfaction for her late
conduct, so opposite to the former, had not employed artifice as well as
force, to disturb her repose.

He at first let loose upon her resentment and jealousy two mortal
enemies to all tranquillity and happiness. A tall creature, pale-faced,
and nothing but skin and bone, named Churchill, whom she had taken for a
maid of honour, became the object of her jealousy, because she was then
the object of the duke's affection. The court was not able to comprehend
how, after having been in love with Lady Chesterfield, Miss Hamilton,
and Miss Jennings, he could have any inclination for such a creature;
but they soon perceived that something more than unaccountable variety
had a great share in effecting this conquest.

[Miss Arabella Churchill, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill of
Wotton Basset, in the county of Wilts, and sister to the celebrated
John, Duke of Marlborough. She was born 1648.]

The duchess beheld with indignation a choice which seemed to debase her
own merit in a much greater degree than any of the former; at the very
instant that indignation and jealousy began to provoke her spleen,
perfidious Cupid threw in the way of her passions and resentments the
amiable, handsome Sidney; and, whilst he kept her eyes fixed upon
his personal perfections, diverted her attention from perceiving the
deficiency of his mental accomplishments: she was wounded before she was
aware of her danger; but the good opinion Sidney had of his own merit
did not suffer him long to be ignorant of such a glorious conquest;
and, in order more effectually to secure it, his eyes rashly answered
everything which those of her royal highness had the kindness to tell
him, whilst his personal accomplishments were carefully heightened by
all the advantages of dress and show.

The duchess, foreseeing the consequences of such an engagement, strongly
combated the inclination that hurried her away; but Miss Hobart, siding
with that inclination, argued the matter with her scruples, and, in the
end, really vanquished them. This girl had insinuated herself into
her royal highness's confidence by a fund of news with which she was
provided the whole year round: the court and the city supplied her; nor
was it very material to her whether her stories were true or false, her
chief care being that they should prove agreeable to her mistress: she
knew, likewise, how to gratify her palate, and constantly provided
a v