Mrs. Fielding is one of the women of the bedchamber.  She lives with her mother, Lady Charlotte, and her three daughters, girls from ten to fifteen years of age.

When she also wished me joy, I saw in her face a strong mark of still remaining astonishment at my appointment.  Indeed all the people in office here are so evidently amazed that one so unthought of amongst them should so unexpectedly fill a place to which they had all privately appropriated some acquaintance, that I see them with difficulty forbear exclaiming, “How odd it is to see you here!”

Lady Charlotte’s visit was short and very civil; she was obliged to hasten to the Castle, to attend the younger princesses till they went to the Terrace.  They are sent to wait in an apartment of the Castle, till the king and queen and the elders walk out, and then they are called to join them, when the crowd is not great, and when the weather is fine.

My Windsor apartment is extremely comfortable.  I have a large drawing-room, as they call it, which is on the ground floor, as are all the queen’s rooms, and which faces the Castle and the venerable round tower, and opens at the further side, from the windows, to the little park.  It is airy, pleasant, clean, and healthy, My bed-room is small, but neat and comfortable; its 342

entrance is only from the drawing-room, and it looks to the garden.  These two rooms are delightfully independent of all the rest of the house, and contain everything I can desire’for my convenience and comfort.

In her way to my room, Mrs. Delany had met the king; she -was alittle shocked, and feared she came at an improper hour, or ought to have come in the back Way.  I know not if he had perceived her distress; but he soon removed It, for when he went out to go to the Terrace he looked towards my windows, and seeing her there, advanced a few steps to ask her how she did.  The queen turned round and curtseyed to her, and the Princess Augusta ran up to speak to her.

I had retired behind her; but when they moved on, Miss Goldsworthy, the sub-governess, stole from her charges, and came to the window to desire Mrs. Delany to introduce’ her to me.

Sweet Mrs. Delany, thwarted in her kind private views of an interesting confabulation, grew fatigued, and went home; and then Mrs. Fielding rose to accompany her.  Miss Port made a second attempt for tea, but received for answer that Mrs. Schwellenberg would come down and make it as soon as the king and queen came from the Terrace.

The ceremony of waiting tea till the royal family return from the Terrace, is in order to make it for any company they may invite to it. . . .

To-night, like the rest of my attendance, I was merely treated as if an accidental visitor.  Sweet queen !,;z-she seems as fearful of employing me as I am myself of being employed.

Inopportunevisitors.

July 20.-This morning the queen enquired of me if I loved walking?  I answered yes; and she then told me I had better not leave off that exercise, but walk out every morning.