Miss Port, with her usual partiality, was in high glee from the surprise.  I dined and drank tea with them.  Mrs. Delany related to me the most flattering speech made to her by the queen, about my coming to her as " the friend best suited to solace her in her disturbances,” and assured me she had quite interested herself in pressing Mrs. Delany to hasten me.

’Tis very extraordinary what a gracious disposition towards me this sweet queen always manifests, and what peculiar elegance there is in the expressions she makes use of in my favour.  They were now particularly well-timed, and gave me most pleasant hopes for my dear father.  He came to tea at Mrs. Delany’s, and, at the proper hour, went to the Terrace, with the good-natured Dr. Lind, who is always ready to oblige.  I waited to go with a female party, which was arranged for me by Mrs. Delany, and soon followed.

All the royal family were already on the Terrace before we 325

arrived.  The king and queen, and the Prince of Mecklenburg, and her majesty’s mother -walked together.  Next them the princesses and their ladies, and the young princesses, making a very gay and pleasing procession, of one of the finest families in the world.  Every way they moved, the crowd retired to stand up against the wall as they passed, and then closed in to follow.  When they approached towards us, and we were retreating, Lady Louisa Clayton placed me next herself, making her daughters stand below-a politeness and attention without which I had certainly not been seen; for the moment their majesties advanced, I involuntarily looked down, and drew my hat over my face.  I could not endure to stare at them, and, full of our real errand, I felt ashamed , even of being seen by them.  The very idea of a design, however far from illaudable is always distressing and uncomfortable.  Consequently, I should have stood in the herd, and unregarded; but Lady Louisa’s kindness and good breeding put me in a place too conspicuous to pass unnoticed.  The moment the queen had spoken to her, which she stopped to do as soon as she came up to her, she inquired, in a whisper, who was with her; as I know by hearing my own name given for the answer.  The queen then instantly stepped nearer me, and asked me how I did; and then the king came forward, and, as soon as he had repeated the same question, said, “Are you come to stay?”

“No, sir, not now.”

“No; but how long shall you stay?”

“I go to-night, sir.”

“I was sure,” cried the queen, “she was not come to stay, by seeing her father.”

I was glad by this to know my father had been observed.

“And when did you come?” cried the king.

“About two hours ago, sir.”

“And when do you return again to Windsor?”

“Very soon, I hope, sir.”

“And—­and—­and—­” cried he, half laughing, and hesitating, significantly, “pray, how goes on the Muse?”