This is the state of her affairs.  I am now with her entirely.  At first I slept at home ; but going after supper, and coming

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before breakfast, was inconvenient, and she has therefore contrived me a bed-room. . . .

(Fanny Burney to Mrs. Locke.)
St. James’s-place,
Aug. 29.

All our movements are at present uncertain ; Mrs. Delany,s Windsor house is still unfinished, but I suppose it will be fit for her reception by the beginning of next week, and I have the happiest reasons for hoping she will then be fit for it herself.  Her maid has been to see what forwardness it is in, and this was her report:—­She was ordered to wait Upon Miss Goldsworthy,(192) by the king’s direction, who heard of her being sent to inspect the house; and there she received commands, in the name of both king and queen, to see that Mrs. Delany brought with her nothing but herself and clothes, as they insisted upon fitting up her habitation with everything themselves, including not only plate, china, glass, and linen, but even all sort of stores—­wine, sweetmeats, pickles, etc.  Their earnestness to save her every care, and give her every gratification in their power, is truly benevolent and amiable.  They seem to know and feel her worth as if they had never worn crowns, or, wearing, annexed no value to them.

A visit to Mrs. Delany.

Windsor, Saturday, Nov. 25—­I got to Hounslow almost at the same moment with Mrs. Astley, my dear Mrs. Delany’s maid, who was sent to meet me.  As soon as she had satisfied my inquiries concerning her lady, she was eager to inform Tne that the queen had drunk tea with Mrs. Delany the day before, and had asked when I should come, and heard the time; and that Mrs. Delany believed she would be with her again that evening, and desire to see me.  This was rather fidgetting intelligence.  I rather, in my own mind, thought the queen would prefer giving me the first evening alone with my dear old friend.  I found that sweet lady not so well as I had hoped, and strongly affected by afflicting recollections at sight of me.  With all her gentleness and resignation, bursts of sorrow break from her still whenever we are alone together, for the Duchess of Portland was a boson’ friend to her.

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Miss Port,(193) who is a truly lovely girl, received me with her usual warmth of joy, and was most impatient to whisper me that " all the princesses intended to come and see me.”  She is just at the age to doat upon an ado, and nothing so much delights her as the thought of my presentations.

Mrs. Delany acquainted me that the queen, in their first Interview, upon her coming to this house, said to her, " Why did not you bring your friend Miss Burney with you?”

My dear Mrs. Delany was very much gratified by such an attention to whatever could be thought interesting to her, but, with her usual propriety, answered that, in coming to a house of her majesty’s, she could not presume to ask anybody without immediate and express permission.  “The king, however,” she added, “made the very same inquiry when I saw him next.”