Lady Mary’s own morals were more than once assailed; but this did not prevent her humorous attack on society at large:  “Those things [Bills of Divorce] grow more fashionable every day, and in a little time won’t be at all scandalous.  The best expedient for the public, and to prevent the expense of private families, would be a general act of divorcing all the people of England.  You know those that pleased might marry again; and it would save the reputation of several ladies that are now in peril of being exposed every day.”

Not long after Lady Mary had returned to England, about the winter of 1720, she, who loved to retail malicious stories about others, found herself, to her great dismay, the subject of a first-class scandal.

When Lady Mary was in Paris, Remond was introduced to her by the Abbe Conti.  He had seen a letter or two addressed by her to the Abbe, and expressed himself with enthusiasm of her brilliance as a correspondent.  Presently he came to England, and sought out Lady Mary, who was no more immune from flattery than most folk of either sex.  How far the intimacy developed from the platonic to the amorous it is impossible to say.  That Remond made love to her there can be little doubt.  Sir Leslie Stephen holds the view that she did not encourage his passion.  Anyhow, it is beyond question that she wrote him imprudent letters, which he was prudent enough to keep.

Lady Mary basked in the admiration of Remond, and thought to reward him for his intelligence, at no cost to herself, by putting him on to “a good thing.”  Also, getting a little fearsome of his very marked attentions, or perhaps it was only wearying of them, she thought, as she confessed to her sister, the Countess of Mar, it would be the more easy to rid herself of this somewhat turbulent lover.

At this time the famous “boom” known as the South Sea Bubble was at the height of its brief career.  The South Sea Company had taken over the National Debt, on terms, and its stock, carefully manipulated, rose by leaps and bounds.  In 1714 the stock stood at 85.  After the defeat of the rebellion of 1715, it was quoted at prices varying from par to 106.  In the autumn of 1719, when rumours of its great scheme were spread about the town, it rose to 126.  Early in the following year it could not be purchased for less than 400.  It fluctuated wildly, going up and down hundreds of points.  On June 2, 1720, it went up in the morning to 890, in the afternoon fell to 640; and many who were speculating in differences were utterly ruined.  Later in the day it recovered, though only to 770.  Ultimately it rose to 1,000.  Of course the prices were fictitious, but everyone in society tried their luck, and while some came out of it with a fortune, the majority lost practically every penny they had.  The directors, most of whom were guilty of fraud, made vast sums of money.  That astute financier, Robert Walpole, speculated on a vast scale, sold out before the slump, and realised a fortune more than sufficient to enable him to rebuild Houghton and to gather together his famous collection of pictures.  On the other hand the Duke of Portland, who held on too long, was so hard hit that he had to solicit the post of Captain-General of Jamaica.