938 



ANNUAL REGISTEll, 1805. 



" probably the walking gentleman's 

 '' thoughts, when he preseutt'd his 

 " box to me. My refusal was ac- 

 *' companicd with a profound bow; 

 " but at that very instant the 

 *' thought darted like lightning 

 " across my mind, that there was a 

 " possibility of his misconstruing 

 ^' my declining his olier into an of- 

 *' fence, and made me stretch Out 

 " my hand to accept it. 



" He had shut his snuff-box, but 

 " opened it again, and offered it to 

 *' me. 1 had in the mean while 

 *' withdrawn my hand. I bowed, 

 *■' just as I had done before, and 

 " raised my hand the second time, 

 *' exactly in the same manner as I 

 " had done the first, at the moment 

 *' he drew his back. He made ano- 

 " ther attempt, I did the same, but 

 " neither of us succeeded ; and the 

 " ridiculous motion of our hands 

 *' was a striking picture of our 

 *' Tain endeavour to entertain and 

 " be useful to each other ; for each 

 " of us wished to do so, but nci- 

 " ther of us could devise the pro- 

 *' per means of doing what he in- 

 " tended. 



" Nor did I even succeed in m^^ 

 " attempt to attain the pinch of 

 " snuff; for wiiilst the old gentlc- 

 " man and I were engaged in the 

 " manner just described, a servant 

 " entered, and informed me that 

 " the duke desired I woidd come to 

 " him. 1 felt like a young parson 

 " who hears the bells ring for 

 *' church the first time he is iioihff 

 " to preach, and followed the foot- 

 *' man with a palpitating heart, and 

 " the renewed determination to act 

 " and speak with becoming courage 

 " and presence of mind. Perhaps 

 " I should have succeeded in doing 

 " so, for the duke's afiable, humane 

 *' countenance inspired me Avith 



" confidence as well as respect, i; 

 "• I had not stumbhod, and nearly 

 " fallen on the dry-rubbed floor 

 " of the room the duke was in, the 

 " moment I set my foot upon it. 



" ' Take care how you walk. 

 " said the duke, ' tor the floor i;> 

 " slippery.' I, unfortunately, at 

 " that moment, remembered the re- 

 " solution I had formed of speaking 

 " my mind freely and without re- 

 " serve, and therefore replied, with- 

 " out the least hesitation — ' Your 

 " hic^hness is perfectly in the right, 

 " Courts are generally slippery 

 " places !' 



" ' That may be,' returned the 

 " duke, Avithout seeming to notice 

 " the true meaning of my words ; 

 " ' but it is not my fault ; it is 

 " my servants who polish the 

 " boards, and custom enables us 

 " to walk on them without stum- 

 " bling.' 



" This answer, and the appre- 

 " hension I justly felt that he 

 " might think what I said trite and 

 " rude, threw me intoa panic; and I 

 " was as confused as an actor, who 

 " forgets himself in the midst of 

 " his part, and felt just as stupid 

 " and awkward, as I had done in 

 " the other room. 



" ' You are the author of several 

 '' excellent performances?' con- 

 " tinned the duke, after a pause, 



"'Yes, your highness,' replied I, 

 " with a low bow: the duke smiled. 



" That was foolish of me again, 

 " said I to myself; but T did not 

 " intend to say what I had w ritten 

 " was excellent, 1 only meant to 

 " avow myself the author of them. 

 " Had I been less embarrassed than 

 " I really was at the time, I should 

 " have found it rather difficult to 

 " give the duke a proper answer 

 " to what he said j for a good deal 



" of 



