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his manners.  He married Lady —–­, and I am told he is a most tender husband to her.

A very unfortunate subject happened to be started during our tea; namely, the newspaper attacks upon Mrs. Hastings.  The colonel, very innocently, said he was very sorry that lady was ever mentioned in the same paragraph with her majesty.  Mrs. Schwellenberg indignantly demanded “Why?—­where?—­when? and what?”

Unconscious of her great friendship for Mrs. Hastings, the colonel, unfortunately, repeated his concern, adding, “Nothing has hurt me so much as the queen’s being ever named in such company.”

The most angry defence was now made, but in so great a storm. of displeasure, and confusion of language, that the colonel, looking utterly amazed, was unable to understand what was the matter.  Major Price and myself were both alarmed; Miss Port longed to laugh; Miss Mawer sat perfectly motionless; Mrs. Fisher decidedly silent.  No one else was present.  The colonel, whenever he could be heard, still persisted in his assertion, firmly, though gently, explaining the loyalty of his motives.

This perseverance increased the storm, which now blew with greater violence, less and less distinct as more fierce.  Broken sentences were all that could be articulated.  “You might not say such thing!”—­“Upon my vord!”—­“I tell you once!”—­“colonel what-you-call, I am quite warm!”—­“Upon my vord!—­I tell you the same!”—­“You might not tell me such thing!”—­“What for you say all that?”

As there was nothing in this that could possibly clear the matter, and the poor colonel only sunk deeper and deeper, by not understanding the nature of his offence, Major Price now endeavoured to interfere ; and, as he is a great favourite, he was permitted not only to speak, but to be heard.

“Certainly,” said he, “those accounts about Mrs. Hastings, and the history of her divorce, are very unpleasant anecdotes in public newspapers; and I am sorry, too, that they should be told in the same paragraph that mentions her being received by the queen.”

Nothing could equal the consternation with which. this unexpected speech was heard.  “Upon my vord!  You sorprise me!” was all that could now be got out.

As I found them now only running further from general comprehension, I felt so sorry that poor Mrs. Hastings, whom I 372

believe to be a most injured woman, should so ill be defended even by her most zealous friend, that I compelled myself to the exertion of coming forward, now, in her behalf myself, and I therefore said, it was a thousand pities her story should’ not be more accurately made known:  as the mode of a second marriage from a divorce was precisely the contrary here of what it was in Germany; since here it could only take place upon misconduct, and there, I had been told, a divorce from misconduct prohibited a second marriage, which could only be permitted where the divorce was the mere effect of disagreement from dissimilar tempers.  Mrs. Hastings, therefore, though acquitted of ill-behaviour by the laws of her own country seemed, by those of England, convicted; and I could not but much regret that her vindication was not publicly made by this explanation.