But alas!—If awkwardness was removed, something worse was substituted in its place; my presidency was abolished on the very day it was to be declared, by the sudden return of its rightful superseder. I acquainted her with the invitation I had been desired to send, and I told her I had also engaged Miss Port. I told of both as humbly as possible, that I might raise no alarms of any intention of rivalry in power.
Mr. Mithoff was not yet come when dinner was announced, nor yet Miss Port; we sat down tete-a-tete, myself in some pain for my invitations, my companion well content to shew she would wait for none of my making.
At length came Miss Port, and presently after a tall German clergyman entered the room. I was a little confused by his immediately making up to me, and thanking me in the strongest terms for the honour of my invitation, and assuring me it was the most flattering one he had ever received.
I answered as short as I could, for I was quite confounded by the looks of Mrs. Schwellenberg. Towards me they were directed with reproach, and towards the poor visitor with astonishment: why I could not imagine, as I had frequently heard her speak of M. Mithoff with praise.
Finding nothing was said to him, I was obliged to ask him to take a place at the table myself, which he did; still, and with great glee of manner, addressing himself wholly to me, and never finishing his warm expressions of gratitude for my invitation. I quite longed to tell him I had her majesty's orders for what I had done, that he might cease his most unmerited acknowledgments; but I could not at that time. The dinner went off very ill. Nobody said a word but this gentleman, and he spoke only to do himself mischief.
When we all adjourned to Mrs. Schwellenberg's room upstairs, for coffee, my new guest again poured forth such a torrent of thanks, that I could not resist taking the first opportunity to inform him he owed me no such strong obligation, as I had simply obeyed the commands of the queen.
“The queen!” he exclaimed, with yet greater enchantment; “then I am very happy indeed, madam; I had been afraid at first there was some mistake in the honour you did me.”
“It might have seemed a mistake indeed, sir,” cried I, “if you supposed I had taken the liberty of making you such an invitation, without the pleasure of knowing you myself.”
Mrs. Schwellenberg, just after, calling me aside, said, “For what have you brought me this man?”
I could make no answer, lest he should hear me, for I saw him look uneasily towards us; and therefore, to end such interrogations, I turned to him, and asked how many days he should continue at Windsor. He looked surprised, and said he had no thought of leaving it.