Page:Catherine of Bragança, infanta of Portugal, & queen-consort of England.djvu/242

206 tricks, she said, "he did make too much vanity."^ Charles was no sooner assured of her return to health than he allowed himself to be again drawn by the attractions of Frances Stuart. His atten- tions to her became so pronounced that the self- seeking Court forsook Lady Castlemaine to flock to the side of the rising star. Lady Castlemaine, as may well be supposed, was infuriated, and tried to keep over the King, by tyranny, the influence she could not retain through love. She had the outrageous impertinence one day at the theatre to lean from her own box, where there were several other ladies, into the next box where the King sat, and to whisper to him in the sight of the whole house. When he tried to avoid her she rose boldly, and, walking straight into the royal box, seated herself between the King and the Duke of York, which embarrassed every one present, the King himself the most.^ Charles had ceased to feel his old passion for " The Lady " ; but his old fear of injuring her in the sight of the world, and the reiterated counsels of his companions about ingratitude and dishonour, kept him still under her thrall.

She had another opportunity of showing her power, which did not turn out as advantageously as she had hoped. The first glazed coach ever seen in England had arrived as a present to Charles from France, where they were just becoming fashionable. Every woman at Court was eager to be the first to ride in it, and Catherine begged Charles to let her use it first, with the Duchess of York. This was allowed at once, and Lady Castlemaine, seeing the attention they attracted, determined it should be her turn. She demanded rather than asked it of Charles, with whom she was daily growing more imperious, Frances Stuart asked for it at the same time, and ](^harles, without hesitation, gave her the preference. A scene of the most violent character took place,

^ "Pepys's Diary, * Ibid.