The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-27

matter is that Lady Randolph, like Mrs.
| CORVALLIS West herself, like the Do
| wager Countess of Dudley, Lady Gerard
and other women who are nearer fifty
than forty, retains to an extraordinary
degree the beauty and, above ALL the
freshness and elegance that distinguish
ed her when she first maze her debut in
| London society.
She has changed but littre since the
day when the species of calf love and
urdisguised infatuatiOn of the late Duke
! of Clarence, eldest son of the Prince of
| Wales, caused her husband, while on
visit to the queen, to suddenly resign
his seat in the cabinet and his secretary
ship of state for India under circum-
sta ces Of the most objectionable rude
rs y to his sovereign.
Lady Randolph and himself had dined
with the queen at Windsor, and had
shown manifest pleasure at the marked
graciousness with which they were treat
ed by the queen. Both were In excellent
spirits during the repast, and there was
no premonition of any disaster.
The Duke of Clarence was one of the
guests, and after dinner he engaged in
conversation with Lady Randolph
Churchill. The young princes admira-
ton for the fair American was no Sc
cret to the queen. In fact, she rather
approved 1t, thinking, like the Prince
and even a mild Irritation. with bril-
liant woman of the world, would serve
tC cure the duke of that ShyneSS and
gaucherie, which was one OF his faults
from a social point of view. Lord Ran
dolph, while watching his wife talking to
the duke happened to overhesr some
remark which he construed to the effect
that he wound not be the first states
man of European renown who was in
dehted for his advancement to royal ad-
miratior for his wife.
If there was one thing that Lord Ran
dolph was sensitive about 1t was on the
subject of the part played by his wife
in promoting his political fortune. The
newspapers were never tired Of discussing
how much he was indebted to her in this
respect, until the very mention of it
had the same effect upon him as red
raS upon bull.
He withdrew at once to the rooms
which had been assigned to him, sat
down at the writing table and dashed off
on note paper bearing the queens cipher
two very curt notes. One was to her
majesty herself, the other to Lord Sails
bury, resigning his seat in the cabinet,
his CHARACTERISTIC of the eXchequer and
his leadership in the house of commons.
Then, without leaving any message for
his wife he hurried off to the station,
caught the last train to town, drove
straight off to the Times Office and In
formed the editor of his resignation.
On the following morning, before either
the queen or Lord Salisbury had received
his letters, they were informed by means
of a paragraph on the editorial page Of
the Times that he had resigned office
and withdrawn from political life.
That, too. was the first intimation
which his wife received.
For a long time relations were very
strained between Lord and Lady Ran
dolph She was naturally indignant at
the wrong construction which he had in
sisted on placing upon the wholly limo.
cent infatuation of the Duke of Clarence.
He was bitterly hurt and Jealous. In
deed, 1t was not until he returned from
South Africa so mentally and physically
wrecked as to stand in need of constant
and devoted care that they became rec
onciled again.
AS in the case of Lady Randolph
Churchill, Mrs. CORVALLIS West is one OF
those women who has been the subject
of no end of admiration and of bound
less gossip, and yet whose fair name has
always remained untarnished, in spite
of the fact that she has many enemies
Indeed she seems to have considered 1t
as her duty to show English society that
1t is possible to firt nineteen to the
dozen while remaining absolutely true to
that 1t is possible to amuse oneself in the
most eccentric fashion to act on every
impulse, and to say outright what hap
pens to be on the tip of the tongue with.
out ever degenerating into vulgarity
One Of her principal characteristics il,
her Impotence. She gives one the i'm
preston of being incapable of sitting
still sufficiently long In one place to en-
able her to read the second page Of
book after having finished the first
Nothing Is more amusing than to hear
Mrs. CORVALLIS West engaged in
wordy conflict with her gigantic hus-
band, who, in addition to his extreme
elaboration of movements, and even Of
thought, possess the drawback of
stammer-especially when his wife is in
a hurry to obtain an answer to her cues
ton. At times his hesitation and his
und1sguised amusement at his wife's pet
ulent impotence have the effect Of ex-
asperating her to such an extent that q
book is apt to come flying across the
room at his head. This is the only use
TO which Mrs. CORVALLIS West a cousin
OF Lord Sackville, ever puts books