“And when he got it,” cried the king, “he told me he was afraid of looking at it! and never can I forget his face when he mentioned his first opening it.  But you have not kept your pen unemployed all this time?”

“Indeed I have, sir.”

“But why?”

“I—­I believe I have exhausted myself, sir.”

He laughed aloud at this, and went and told it to Mrs. Delany, civilly treating a plain fact as a mere bon mot.

Then, turning to me again, he said, more seriously, “But you have not determined against writing, any more?”

“N-o, sir”

“You have made no vow—­no real resolution of that sort?”

“No, sir.”

“You only wait for inclination"”

“No, sir.”

A very civil little bow spoke him pleased with this answer, and he went again to the middle of the room, where he chiefly stood, and, addressing us in general, talked upon the different motives of writing, concluding with,

“I believe there is no constraint to be put upon real genius; nothing but inclination can set it to work.  Miss Burney, however, knows best.”  And then, hastily returning to me, he cried, “What? what?”

“No, sir, I—­I-believe not, certainly,” quoth I, very awkwardly, for I seemed taking a violent compliment only as my due; but I knew not how to put him off as I would another person.

He then made some inquiries concerning the pictures with which the room is hung, and which are all Mrs. Delany’s own painting and a little discourse followed, upon some of the masters whose pictures she has copied.  This was all with her; for nobody ever answers him without being immediately addressed by him. 304

He then came to me again, and said,

“Is your father about anything at present?”

“Yes, sir, he goes on, when he has time, with his history.”

“Does he write quick?”

“Yes, sir, when he writes from himself; but in his history he has so many books to consult, that sometimes he spends’ three days in finding authorities for a single passage.”

“Very true ; that must be unavoidable.”  He pursued these inquiries some time, and then went again to his general station before the fire, and Mrs. Delany inquired if he meant to hunt the next day.  “Yes,” he answered; and, a little.pointedly, Mrs. Delany said,

“I would the hunted could but feel as much pleasure as the hunter.”

The king understood her, and with some quickness, called out, “Pray what did you hunt ?”

Then, looking round at us all,—­

“Did you know,” he said, “that Mrs. Delany once hunted herself?—­ and in a long gown, and a great hoop?”

It seems she had told his majesty an adventure of that sort which had befallen her in her youth, from some accident in which her will had no share.

The queen appears upon the scene.