At tea I found a new uniform. Major Price, immediately introduced me
to him; he was Colonel Fairly.[210] He is a man of the most scrupulous
good-breeding, diffident, gentle, and sentimental in his conversation,
and assiduously attentive in 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 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.
“So do I, too,” cried Major Price “for I never heard this before.”
“Nor I,” cried the colonel “and indeed it ought to be made known, both
for the sake of Mrs. Hastings, and because she has been received
at Court, which gave everybody the greatest surprise, and me, in my
ignorance, the greatest concern, on account of the queen.”
This undid all again, though my explanation had just stilled the
hurricane; but now it began afresh.
“You might not say that, Colonel Fairly; you might not name the
queen!--O, I can't bear it!--I tell you once it is too moch!--What for
you tell me that?”
“Ma'am, I--I only said--It is not me, ma'am, but the newspapers.”
“What for you have such newspapers?--I tell you the same--it is--what
you call--I don't like such thing!”
“But, ma'am--”
“O, upon my vord, I might tell you once, when you name the queen, it
is--what you call--I can't bear it!--when it is nobody else, with all my
heart! I might not care for that--but when it is the queen,--I tell you
the same, Colonel Fairly--it makes me--what you call--perspire.”
The major again interfered, saying it was now all cleared up, by the
account of the difference of the German customs, and therefore that it
was all very well. A certain quiet, but yet decisive way, in which he
sometimes speaks, was here very successful; and as the lady stopped, the
colonel saw all explanation too desperate to aim at further argument.