I was now a little revived ; and soon after the Princess Elizabeth came back, and asked if we had done, desiring us at the same time not to hurry.

Yes, we said; and ashamed of thus keeping possession of her room, I was gliding out, when she flew to me, and said, " “Don’t go!—­ pray come and stay with me a little.”  She then flew to another end of the room, and getting a chair, brought it herself close up to me, and seating herself on another, said, “Come, sit down by me, Miss Burney.”

You may suppose how I resisted and apologised,-truly telling her that I had not opposed her royal highness’s design, from being ashamed of even suspecting it.  She only laughed good-humouredly, and made me take the chair she had thus condescended to fetch me. . . .  In a very few minutes, the other princesses — came for her.  The princess royal then told me she was quite sorry to hear we had been so much distressed —­and I found Miss Plantabad recounted our adventures.

I was not glad of this, though greatly gratified by the goodness of the princess.  But I know how quickly complaints circulate, and I wish not even for redress by such means, which commonly, when so obtained, is more humiliating than the offence which calls for it.

Frompillar to post.

When the princesses left us, we were again at a loss what to do with ourselves ; we saw several passing servants, maids as well as men, and Miss Planta applied to them all to shew me my room, which I was anxious to inhabit in peace and solitude:  however, they all promised to send, some one else, but no one came.  Miss Planta, in the midst of the diversion she received from my unavailing earnestness to get into some retreat, had the good-nature to say, “I knew how this would turn out, and wished the visit over before it began ; but it must really be 379

very new to you, unused as you are to it, and accustomed to so much attention in other places.”

At length she seized upon a woman servant, who undertook to conduct me to this wished-for room.  Miss Planta accompanied me, and off we set.  In descending the stairs, a door opened which led to one of the state rooms, in which were the royal family.  We glided softly past ; but the princess royal, attended by the Duchess of Ancaster, came out to us.  We soon found her royal highness had told our tale.  “Miss Vernons,” said the duchess, “will come to take care of you; you must both go and take possession of the eating-parlour, where you will sup; and the equerries will be of your party.”

I said not a word, but of general thanks, still longing only to go to my own room.  I whispered this to Miss Planta, who obligingly, though rather reluctantly, consented to pursue our first scheme.  But when the duchess observed that we were turning off, she called out, “I see you do not know your way, so I’ll come and show you to the eating-parlour.”  The princess royal said she would come with us also; and., according to direction, we were therefore necessitated to proceed.