Page:Memoirs of the Lady Hester Stanhope.djvu/37

 observe 'if you have anything to finish, I won't come yet—I'll come in a quarter of an hour.' When he was going away from Lord Romney's, he wanted to put me bodkin between himself and the queen; and when the queen had got into the carriage, he said to her, 'My dear, Lady Hester is going to ride bodkin with us; I am going to take her away from Democracy Hall:' but the old queen observed, in rather a prim manner, that I 'had not got my maid with me, and that it would be inconvenient for me to go at such a short notice:' so I remained.

"It was at the review that I was talking to some officers, and something led to my saying, 'I can't bear men who are governed by their wives, as Sir A. H*** is; a woman of sense, even if she did govern her husband, would not let it be seen: it is odious, in my opinion:' and I went on in this strain, whilst poor Sir A. himself, whom I did not know, but had only heard spoken of, was standing by all the time. I saw a dreadful consternation in the bystanders, but I went on. At last some one—taking commiseration on him, I suppose—said, 'Lady Hester, will you allow me to introduce Sir A. H*** to you, who is desirous of making your acquaintance.' Sir A. very politely thanked me for the advice I had given him; and I answered something about the regard my brother had for him, and there the matter ended.