1827.] Biographical Sketch rf Mile. Sontag. 271 



One morning, the party assembled in Henrietta's saloon, were engaged in dis- 

 course respecting the journals of the day, and the criticisms they contained, 

 which (judging from a certain tone of asperity, and even banter, regarding our 

 songstress) had imbibed the poison dealt out by the rival queens, when the 

 Lieutenant-Colonel, who had been looking out of the window through his lorgnette, 

 exclaimed " My honoured friends, I have to announce Lord Monday;' 1 "* and 

 his lordship immediately after ascended the stairs a succession of coarse oaths 

 resounding,* the cause of which nobody knew. Without waiting to be 

 announced, he burst into the room his huge mantle hanging over his shoul- 

 ders. " Good morning, most adorable !" was his first exclamation : " how have 

 you slept ?" 



" I am obliged by your lordship's inquiries," answered the somewhat embar- 

 rassed Henrietta. " Louise, a chair." 



" Oh, never mind," said the peer, " I will sit upon the sofa ;" and he forthwith 

 stretched himself thereon at full length but his cloak embarrassing him, he 

 hurled it, with a dignified God damn, upon a chair, near which stood a side-board, 

 Rill charged with coffee-cups; his lordship's aim was unsteady, and* down went 

 the apparatus. 



The whole room was now in confusion; Henrietta looked terrified; the gen- 

 tlemen busied themselves in assisting the servants to remove the broken china ; 

 and the lord gave his aid in the shape of stamping and cursing. Henrietta, on 

 observing one of the fragments, uttered a half-suppressed exclamation of regref, 

 which struck in a moment the ready ear of Werner, who looked extremely indig- 

 nant at the whole transaction. " What is the matter?" said he. 



" Oh, nothing," replied Henrietta, endeavouring to brighten up, " except that 

 my poor departed sister's favourite cup is amongst the wreck, and that gave me 

 a momentary pang." 



The Englishman caught these words, although uttered in a low tone; and 

 thinking perhaps that they demanded some notice, cried out "Never mind, 

 beauteous Henrietta, I will pay you for the cups threefold. You shall have a 

 dozen for every one far more handsome." 



Werner looked very much inclined to chastise this coarse presumer on his 

 rank ; but his rising passion was checked by a few deprecating words which the 

 lady contrived to say to him apart. 



The company w.ss now on the point of resuming their seats, when there arose 

 a general exclamation of "Here comes Count Regenbogen," f who in a moment 

 or two entered the saloon. 



Count Regenbogen was held to be the most polite and well-dressed cavalier 

 at the court of Berlin. Nobody had a more stylish head of hair ; his perfumes 

 were all procured direct from the French capital ; his boots and shoes were uni- 

 formly made at Vienna his coats at Paris his nether-garments and surtouts at 

 London. Even at the very first period of the morning (namely, about 12 o'clock) 

 on lifting himself out of bed, he was elegant ! and the report went, that he 

 absolutely slept in two waistcoats, and a cravat of the finest mixture al'iitcroy* 

 able ! and that, for greater luxury, he was accustomed to dress his hair himself in 

 bed, for which purpose a sheet of looking-glass was affixed to the top ! It was 

 also rumoured, on the authority of his lawyer, that he had made provision in his 

 will for being buried en habit habille deeming it unbecoming to appear at the 

 day of judgment otherwise than full dressed. 



This notable gentleman was assiduously paying his devoirs to the assemblage, 

 amongst whom he used particular attention to my lord, when his brilliant 

 nothings were interrupted by the stalking in of a very ghastly apparition, which 

 bore some resemblance to M. Briickbaner, director of the K Opera. A uni- 

 versal exclamation ensued upon his entrance the more particularly as his gar- 

 ments displayed some stains of blood. 



" Good heavens !" said Henrietta, "what is the meaning of this?" 



" God damn it 1" cried the Englishman, " a duel." 



* Lord C m. f Regenbogen (rainbotv) Count Arnim. 



