A little after the scenes I have described, I was surprised when, late
at night, my summons was brought me by Lady Harcourt, who tapped gently
at my door, and made me a little visit, previously to telling me her
errand. She informed me, also, that the queen had given her command, for
Miss Planta and me to belong to the suite the next day, in the visit to
Oxford; and that a carriage was accordingly ordered for us.
The queen said not a word to me of the day's adventures and I was glad
to have them passed over, especially as Lady Harcourt's visit, and
the civility which accompanied it, appeared a little conscious of
remissness. But when, in speaking of Oxford, her majesty condescended to
ask what gown I had brought with me, how did I rejoice to answer, a new
chamberry gauze, instead of only that which I have on, according to my
Cerbera's advice.
My next difficulty was for a hair-dresser. Nuneham is three or four
miles from Oxford; and I had neither maid to dress nor man to seek
a dresser. I could only apply to Mrs. Thielky, and she made it her
business to prevail with one of the royal footmen to get me a messenger,
to order a hair-dresser from Oxford at six o'clock in the morning. The
queen, with most gracious consideration, told me, over night, that she
should not want me till eight o'clock.
Thus ended the first night of this excursion.
_Aug. 13._--At six o'clock my hair-dresser, to my great satisfaction,
arrived. Full two hours was he at work, yet was I not finished, when
Swarthy, the queen's hair-dresser, came rapping at my door to tell me
her majesty's hair was done, and she was waiting for me. I hurried as
fast as I could, and ran down without any cap. She smiled at sight of my
hasty attire, and said I should not be distressed about a hair-dresser
the next day, but employ Swarthy's assistant, as soon as he had done
with the princesses: “You should have had him,” she added, “to-day, if I
had known you wanted him.”
When her majesty was dressed, all but the hat, she sent for the three
princesses---and the king came also. I felt very foolish with my
uncovered head; but it was somewhat the less awkward from its being very
much a custom, in the royal family, to go without caps; though none that
appear before them use such a freedom. As soon as the hat was on--
“Now, Miss Burney,” said the queen, “I won't keep you; you had better go
and dress too.”
While I was dressing, a footman came to my door, with a formal message
that Miss Vernons begged I would come to breakfast. I immediately
promised to make haste, glad to find something more resembling civility
at length coming round to me. Presently after entered Miss Planta, in
high spirits and great enjoyment. She told me she had been acquainting
the queen with the whole affair, and that the queen quite approved of
our staying upstairs. She had been also with the equerries, and had a
fine laugh with them about their “wanting the ladies”, they declared
they had sent no message at all, and that the servant had simply
received orders to tell us that Miss Vernons desired our company to
supper.
I thought it mighty unnecessary to have acquainted the equerries with
what could only furnish a laugh against ourselves: however, the thing
was done, and down we went together.