Once a Week (magazine)/Series 1/Volume 11/A gentle lady married to a Moor
Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/128 Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/129 Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/130 fellow-prisoner—lost no time in placing herself in the way of the Moor as he walked along the gallery. The result may be anticipated. "On the following Saturday," says Desdemona, "being his Sabbath, he sent a polite invitation for me to dine with him, and bring with me any ladies I thought proper." The invitation was accepted. "On our entering the room," she continues, "which was fancifully hung with pink satin, we found there several of the Turkish ambassador's suite, and several gentlemen of that nation. One old man, of the name of Abbo, took a fancy to me, and made formal proposals of marriage; but I rejected them with disdain, which afterwards nearly cost Mr. Sumbel and me our lives, as the old wretch actually returned to the prison to assassinate us; but timely notice enabled us to frustrate his design, and he was never afterwards permitted to enter the gates."
Deserted as Mrs. Wella-Sumbel delights to picture herself, she appears to have had many friends, particularly of the male sex; and one gentleman at this period offered to pay all her debts and release her from prison. This circumstance came, or was purposely brought, to the knowledge of Mr. Sumbel, the unhappy Moor, and it hurried him into a proposal of marriage, which was, of course, accepted. An insolvent Act, which was passed about this time, gave Desdemona her liberty; but she remained in the Fleet, to wed the Moor. "An obstacle," she says, "however, still stood between us, which was requisite to be got over before wo could be lawfully united. My former husband, Mr. Wells, I had reason to suppose was still living, although I had neither seen nor heard from him for upwards of twenty years. Every advice was taken; and it was at last decided I must turn Jewess, which I accordingly did, and we were married agreeably to the rites of the Jewish church."
We have Desdemona's assertion for it that the Moor was haughty, irascible, and jealous, in the extreme—bad qualities, which were counterbalanced by his youth, wealth, and handsome appearance. He was fond of display; and Desdemona, who was equally fond of it, tells ns with secret pride that the marriage ceremony, though performed in a prison, was conducted with all the profusion of eastern magnificence. "It took place," she says, "in the week of the great Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, and lasted throughout the festival. The genteel prisoners were invited to partake of the fare; and the poor were not forgotten. Four rooms were lighted up on the occasion, and a largo lustre was placed in the middle of the long gallery, which cost twenty-five pounds. The sum total of the extraordinaries for that week alone came to five hundred pounds."
Desdemona, according to her own showing, prevailed upon the Moor to heal all differences with his brother by giving him twenty thousand pounds, and then to live in a style which she thought suitable to his wealth and position. They began housekeeping in Orchard Street, Portman Square, to be near the Turkish ambassador; but soon removed to Pall Mall, to a larger mansion, next door to the Duke of Gloucester's. Desdemona was not happy, in spite of her splendour. The Moor would not allow her to sleep in the diamonds of immense value which she wore on state-days and bonfire nights, but would insist upon locking them up in an iron chest. This was one grievance. Another was that he objected to allow her that excessive freedom of action which she had always been accustomed to. This she considered unkind; and as she could not plunge unfettered into all the gaieties of London, she thought she would indulge her maternal feelings by visiting her children—the Topham-Wells children, as we must call them for the sake of distinction—in the Wold of Yorkshire. Though the unhappy Moor could hardly be expected to feel much interest in these tender beings, he consented to accompany her in this journey to the Wolds. "The incidents," says Desdemona, "that occurred in that short period are so numerous, I hope I shall be excused entering into the different minutiæ of them. If there be any comfort on this earth, it is to relate our griefs to a friend, which a generous public has ever been to me.
"We set out in an elegant vehicle, commonly called a one-horse chaise, without a servant; but my bosom beat with maternal feeling and hope, while it presented their image, and wholly obliterated every sensation of timidity and every conscious blush for my humiliating appearance.
"Though wedded to a man whose wealth was estimated at nearly half a million—a man for whom I changed my religion, and with all the forms and solemnities of that which I adopted, in conformity to his will, because the received and accepted partner of his fortune—I was obliged to commence my journey without even the attendants which were necessary to my safety, and which my state of health at that period demanded.
"We lived for some time previous to our setting out in a small cottage near the Hyde, in Middlesex, in order to screen my illustrious husband from the penalty of a prosecution, which had been given against him for having assaulted a citizen. This cottage had been hired by a respectable lady, through friendship Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/132 Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/133 Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/134