Why Mrs. General Talboys first made up her mind to pass the winter of 1859 at
Rome I never clearly understood. To myself she explained her purposes soon
after her arrival at the Eternal City, by declaring, in her own enthusiastic manner,
that she was inspired by a burning desire to drink fresh at the still living fountains
of classical poetry and sentiment. But I always thought that there was something
more than this in it. Classical poetry and sentiment were doubtless very dear to
her, but so also, I imagine, were the substantial comforts of Hardover Lodge, the
general's house in Berkshire; and I do not think that she would have emigrated
for the winter had there not been some slight domestic misunderstanding. Let
this, however, be fully made clear—that such misunderstanding, if it existed,
must have been simply an affair of temper. No impropriety of conduct has, I am
very sure, ever been imputed to the lady. The general, as all the world knows, is
hot; and Mrs. Talboys, when the sweet rivers of her enthusiasm are unfed by
congenial waters, can, I believe, make herself disagreeable.
But be this as it may, in November, 1859, Mrs. Talboys came among us English
at Rome, and soon succeeded in obtaining for herself a comfortable footing in
our society. We all thought her more remarkable for her mental attributes than for
physical perfection, but nevertheless she was in her own way a sightly woman.
She had no special brilliance, either of eye or complexion, such as would
produce sudden flames in susceptible hearts, nor did she seem to demand
instant homage by the form and step of a goddess; but we found her to be a
good-looking woman of some thirty or thirty-three years of age, with soft, peach-
like cheeks,—rather too like those of a cherub,—with sparkling eyes which were
hardly large enough, with good teeth, a white forehead, a dimpled chin, and a full
bust. Such outwardly was Mrs. General Talboys. The description of the inward
woman is the purport to which these few pages will be devoted.
There are two qualities to which the best of mankind are much subject, which are
nearly related to each other, and as to which the world has not yet decided
whether they are to be classed among the good or evil attributes of our nature.
Men and women are under the influence of them both, but men oftenest undergo
the former, and women the latter. They are ambition and enthusiasm. Now Mrs.
Talboys was an enthusiastic woman.
As to ambition, generally as the world agrees with Mark Antony in stigmatising it
as a grievous fault, I am myself clear that it is a virtue; but with ambition at
present we have no concern. Enthusiasm also, as I think, leans to virtue's side,
or, at least, if it be a fault, of all faults it is the prettiest. But then, to partake at all
of virtue or even to be in any degree pretty, the enthusiasm must be true.
