“Oh, your majesty is here.”
“Yes,” he cried, “I ran here, without speaking to anybody.”
The queen had been at the lower Lodge, to see the Princess Elizabeth, as
the king had before told us.
She then, hastened up to Mrs. Delany, with both her hands held out,
saying,
“My dear Mrs. Delany, how are you?”
Instantly after, I felt her eye on my face. I believe, too, she curtsied
to me; but though I saw the bend, I was too near-sighted to be sure
it was intended for me. I was hardly ever in a situation more
embarrassing---I dared not return what I was not certain I had
received, yet considered myself as appearing quite a monster, to stand
stiff-necked, if really meant.
Almost at the same moment, she spoke to Mr. Bernard Dewes, and then
nodded to my little clinging girl.
I was now really ready to sink, with horrid uncertainty of what I
was doing, or what I should do,--when his majesty, who I fancy saw my
distress, most good-humouredly said to the queen something, but I was
too much flurried to remember what, except these words,--“I have been
telling Miss Burney--”
Relieved from so painful a dilemma, I immediately dropped a curtsey. She
made one to me in the same moment, and, with a very smiling countenance,
came up to me; but she could not speak, for the king went on talking,
eagerly, and very gaily, repeating to her every word I had said during
our conversation upon “Evelina,” its publication, etc. etc.
Then he told her of Baretti's wager, saying,--“But she heard of a great
many conjectures about the author, before it was known, and of Baretti,
an admirable thing!--he laid a bet it must be a man, as no woman, he
said, could have kept her own counsel!”