Page:Memoirs of the Lady Hester Stanhope.djvu/159

 name of the other gentleman who accompanied Monsier Poujolat was Boutés.

Much has been said of Lady Hester Stanhope's rudeness to her countrymen and others in refusing them admittance when at the door, and probably Messrs. Poujolat and Boutés might have complained at Sayda of her inhospitable conduct: but it is scarcely necessary for me to say that her real motives for acting as she did were not from a dislike to see people, since nobody enjoyed half-a-day's conversation with a stranger more than she did. A few days after,

December 2.—I had taken a long ride in the morning, and had seen a frigate under her studding sails running towards Sayda. The arrival of a ship of war was always, an event to set the house in commotion; for it was very well known that, if her colours were English or French, the chances were ten to one that either the captain or some of the officers would come up to Jôon. Accordingly, on returning home at about 4 o'clock, I told Lady Hester Stanhope of it: but she was not well, had passed the night badly, and all she said was,—"Well, if they come, I shall not see any of them." Now, it is not improbable, if any of the officers had presented themselves, and had been told that her ladyship was unable to receive them, owing to the state of her health, that they would have gone away discontented, and disposed to attribute her