Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill - Plaidy Jean. Страница 69

One day Colonel Digby excused himself from attendance on the King. He was, he said, confined to his rooms with gout.

The King strode off without him for his 'exercise'. The Queen heard him talking to Colonel Goldsworthy, for the apartments were so close to each other in Ray's Hill Lodge that it was like living in a small house.

'Fresh air, Goldsworthy. Must have it, eh, what? Get fat without it. Tendency in the family. Plenty of exercise and attention to diet. I've always watched it. All the children ... Cut out drink, Goldsworthy. No good to you, eh, what? Healthy life in the country. Peace ... Not often a king can enjoy that. Matters of State ... ministers ... his family ... Children become an anxiety, Goldsworthy. They run up debts, get involved with women ...'

The Queen put her fingers into her ears. I cant bear it, she thought. It will be useless to try and hide it much longer.

Colonel Digby scratched lightly on Miss Burney's door.

'Is there any hope of a dish of tea, Miss Burney?'

Fanny smiled a little coquettishly. There was no doubt in her mind that Colonel Digby was courting her. She thought of writing to Susan about the situation. Susan would be so amused and interested.

'Colonel Digby! And I heard you were laid low with the gout.'

'Say rather a surfeit of His Majesty's conversation.'

Fanny raised her eyebrows. 'I must say the King can be most ... alarming. I confess I am at a complete loss for words when he speaks to me.'

'That need not worry you, Miss Burney. He has enough and to spare.'

'Yes but...' Fanny sighed. She was fond of the Queen and she did sense her anxiety. 'His Majesty is a little strange.'

The Colonel looked solemn and remarked that no doubt the King was contemplating the inevitable misery of mankind, which made Fanny laugh, while she disputed the fact that mankind was inevitably miserable.

The conversation grew animated when Miss Planta looked in and expressed some surprise to see Colonel Digby there alone with Fanny.

'Oh, do come in, Miss Planta. We are having such an interesting discussion.'

Miss Planta joined them for a while and then excused herself rather pointedly and the discussion continued between Fanny and the Colonel until Madam von Schwellenburg bustled in and throwing up her hands in horror cried: 'Wot this? Tea drinking again. Giv me von dish, Miss Berners. Ach ... not goot ... not goot.'

And she sat there with baleful expression until the Colonel took his leave.

She often said that Fanny must come with her to feed, the

toads—a task Fanny loathed. Horrid creatures, and their mistress was only one degree less ugly!

'Ladies come to serve Queen,' Schwellenburg audibly remarked to her pet toad, 'not to flirt wiz chentlemens.'

But Fanny was still thinking of the pleasant hour with Colonel Digby and as soon as the opportunity arose wrote to Susan:

There is something singular in the perfect trust he seems to have in my discretion, for he speaks to me when we are alone with a frankness unequalled; and there is something very flattering in the apparent relief he seems to find in dedicating what time he has to dispose of to me in my little parlour.'

The Queen looked at her maid of honour.

'Colonel Digby took tea with you yesterday, Miss Burney.'

'Yes, Your Majesty, that was so.'

'But pray how did it happen? I understood he was confined to his room with the gout.'

'He grew better, Madam, and hoped by a little exercise to prevent a serious fit.'

So, thought the Queen, they were avoiding him. They found his conduct embarrassing. They risked royal displeasure rather than face those long diatribes. How can I blame them?

She could not attend to the reading. She realized that she had been sitting with her needle poised in her hand for some minutes.

They must not notice that she was acting oddly too.

It will be almost a relief, she thought, when it is known.

The King came out of the house laughing to himself. It was a pleasure not to be surrounded by equerries and attendants. Out into the lanes. The land looked good.

'How pleasant to be a farmer,' he said to himself. 'Growing the crops, making the butter. Should have enjoyed it. Nothing like fresh country air. Fresh air. Good for everybody. Fresh air

... simple food ... no drink ... no fat ... have to be careful. Tendency in the family.'

He had forgotten that it was impossible for the King to wander out and be unrecognized. He had come to a few houses round a village green and some children playing there had seen him and hastened to carry the news that the King had come. In a short time he was being followed by a group of villagers and seeing them, he turned and greeted them.

'Pleasant, eh? Pretty country. Nothing like the country. Good clean country air. Not like London? Give me the country. Healthy, eh, what?'

The villagers did not know what to do; they looked at each other and giggled and the King went on talking about farms and the country and the peace of the quiet life—but so rapidly that they could scarcely hear what he was saying.

He came to a bridge.

'Hey,' he cried. 'What's this, eh? A bridge, eh, what?'

A man who was standing close to the King received the full glare of those protuberant eyes.

'If it please, Your Majesty,' he said, 'it is a bridge.'

A bridge, eh, my boys? Then let us give it a huzza, eh, what?'

At which he took off his hat, waved it in the air and gave three lusty cheers.

It was while he was doing this that Colonels Digby and Goldsworthy found him and discreetly managed to conduct him back to the house.

The villagers looked after him, murmuring to each other that the ways of royalty were very strange.

Colonel Digby mentioned the King's odd behaviour to the Queen who listened intently.

His Majesty,' she said, 'has always been interested in the country.'

And she thought: It can't be long now. He is very close to complete breakdown.

It was the very next morning when the King awoke in the

early hours and chuckling with pleasure rose and went to the Colonels' quarters.

He banged on their doors and ran up and down the stairs shouting 'Tallyho!' and waking everyone in the near vicinity.

Once again Colonel Digby dealt with the situation and courteously conducted His Majesty back to his room.

Miss Burney was reading to the Queen. It was not a verv affecting passage, but suddenly the tears began to fall down the Queen's cheeks.

Fanny stopped reading in dismay and the Queen vainly sought to repose her features. It was not possible. The tears flowed over, and the Queen put her hand to her face and wept.

It was over in a few minutes.

'How nervous I am,' she said. 'I am ... quite a fool, don't you think so?'

'No, Madam,' replied Fanny quietly.

The Queen smiled at her gratefully, for she knew in that moment that Miss Burney understood the reason for her emotion.

'I think,' said the Queen, 'that we have had enough of Cheltenham. I will speak to the King.'

'Yes, Madam,' replied Fanny; and she went on talking which was not quite correct in the presence of the Queen but on this occasion Fanny believed it was what Her Majesty desired. 'Cheltenham, Madam, is now on the map because of Your Majesty's visit. The Morning Post says that all the fashions are completely Cheltenhamized throughout Great Britain.'

The Queen nodded. 'The people of Cheltenham will be very pleased.'

'Cheltenham will now rival Brighton,' said the irrepressible Fanny.

Brighton was synonymous in the Queen's mind with trouble. Trouble, thought the Queen. Trouble all around.

'Yes,' she said aloud, 'it is indeed time we left Cheltenham.'

Back at St. James's the King's strange behaviour continued.