“Never heard of that,” said I to myself.

“Your excellency arrived this evening?”

“Yes,” said I, “only a few hours since.”

“How fond these Germans are of titles,” thought I. Remembering that in Vienna every one is “his grace,” I thought it might be Bavarian politeness to call every one his excellency.

“You have not been presented, I believe?”

“No,” said I; “but I hope to take an early opportunity of paying ’mes homages’ to his majesty.”

“I have just received his orders to present you now,” replied he, with another bow.

“The devil, you have,” thought I.  “How very civil that.”  And, although I had heard innumerable anecdotes of the free-and-easy habits of the Bavarian court, this certainly surprized me, so that I actually, to prevent a blunder, said, “Am I to understand you, Monsieur le Comte, that his majesty was graciously pleased”—­

“If you will follow me,” replied the courtier, motioning with his chapeau; and in another moment I was elbowing my way through the mob of marquisses and duchesses, on my way to the raised platform where the king was standing.

“Heaven grant I have not misunderstood all he has been saying,” was my last thought as the crowd of courtiers fell back on either side, and I found myself bowing before his majesty.  How the grand mareschal entitled me I heard not; but when the king addressed me immediately in English, saying,

“I hope your excellency has had a good journey?”

I felt, “Come, there is no mistake here, Harry; and it is only another freak of fortune, who is now in good humour with you.”

The king, who was a fine, tall, well-built man, with a large, bushy moustache, possessed, though not handsome, a most pleasing expression; his utterance was very rapid, and his English none of the best, so that it was with the greatest difficulty I contrived to follow his questions, which came thick as hail upon me.  After some commonplaces about the roads, the weather, and the season, his majesty said,

“My Lord Callonby has been residing some time here.  You know him?” And then, not waiting for a reply, added, “Pleasant person—­well informed —­like him much, and his daughters, too, how handsome they are.”  Here I blushed, and felt most awkwardly, while the king continued.

“Hope they will remain some time—­quite an ornament to our court.  Monsieur le Comte, his excellency will dance?” I here muttered an apology about my sprained ankle, and the king turned to converse with some of the ladies of the court.  His majesty’s notice brought several persons now around me, who introduced themselves; and, in a quarter of an hour, I felt myself surrounded by acquaintances, each vieing with the other in showing me attention.

Worse places than Munich, Master Harry, thought I, as I chaperoned a fat duchess, with fourteen quarterings, towards the refreshment-room, and had just accepted invitations enough to occupy me three weeks in advance.