Mrs. Hill was clever enough to understand how it was that the Duchess had vexed Anne, and she behaved in quite a different way, and was always very humble and pretended to agree with all that the Queen said.

For some time the Duchess did not believe that the Queen could care for any one but her, she had always felt so sure of having her own way with Anne. But at last she began to guess how friendly the Queen and Mrs. Hill were growing, and to find out that Mrs. Hill even dared to speak about public affairs to the Queen. This was all the worse because Mrs. Hill was connected with Harley, a man who opposed the Duchess and her friends in everything, and who hoped to get into power himself some day. Harley was very glad to have a friend about the Queen, and he told Mrs. Hill what to say, and advised her how to behave. The Duchess tried to mend matters by scolding both Anne and Mrs. Hill with great violence, and she also wrote angry letters to Anne, which Anne answered very humbly, calling herself "your poor unfortunate but ever faithful Morley."

Soon the Duchess was made still more angry by finding out that Mrs. Hill had been secretly married to Mr. Masham, a gentleman for whom she herself had got a place at court, and that the Queen had been present at the wedding. She at once rushed to Anne, and scolded her more violently than ever, but her reproaches did not help to win back the Queen's friendship. It was not very long before their disagreement led to a public quarrel. There was to be a Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's for a great victory won by the Duke of Marlborough. The

Duchess, as Mistress of the Robes, had put out the jewels which the Queen was to wear when she went to church, but the Queen did not wish to wear those which the Duchess had chosen, and the Duchess thought this must be Mrs. Masham's doing. When she was in the coach with the Queen, driving to church, she began to scold her for what she had done, and even during the service whispered reproaches in Anne's ear. When Anne wanted to answer, she stopped her, and told her to be quiet lest they should be heard. Even then she did not think she had scolded enough, but wrote Anne a very angry letter afterwards. This time Anne did not answer kindly, but only sent a very short cold note. The Duchess wrote again, still more rudely, and finally went to see the Queen. Whilst talking with her, she grew so angry that her loud tones could be heard in the next room. She came out with her eyes full of tears of rage, and the Queen too was found weeping.

After this for a few weeks they neither wrote nor spoke to one another. Then Anne's husband fell dangerously ill, and this news made the Duchess hasten to Kensington Palace. She was present at his death, led the Queen away from the deathbed, and knelt by her in her closet, trying to comfort her in her sorrow. She then persuaded Anne to move to St. James's Palace, and the Queen agreed. But she made the Duchess very angry by giving her her watch, and bidding her go away till the hand had reached a certain spot, and meanwhile send Mrs. Masham to her. The Duchess went away as she was told, but she did not send Mrs. Masham. The Queen, however, managed to get a message sent to Mrs. Masham, bidding her

join her at St. James's. The Duchess did not find that she had gained much by coming back to court again. She only saw every day more clearly how fond the Queen was of her new friend. She always either found Mrs. Masham with the Queen, or met her just coming away from her room. So in disgust she left the court again, and contented herself with writing angry letters to the Queen.

But after a time the Duchess grew restless. She did not like being away from court, and she did not like hearing that her enemies charged her with neglecting her duties and speaking disrespectfully of the Queen. She wished to show people that she was still of importance; so she came to London and asked to see the Queen in private. Anne had no wish to be scolded any more, and perhaps was a little afraid of the Duchess; she tried to put off the meeting, and asked the Duchess to write what she had to say. But the Duchess wrote saying that she only wished to defend her own conduct to the Queen, and would ask for no answer from her. She did not wait for a reply to this letter, but followed it at once to the Palace, and sent a page to ask whether she might see the Queen. The proud Duchess, who had once had everything her own way in the Palace, had to sit down and wait in the window till the page brought back an answer. She waited for some time, and then was at last allowed to go to the Queen. She began at once with tears and passionate words to defend her conduct; the Queen remained quiet, but looked very contemptuous and impatient. From time to time, when the Duchess paused in her flow of words, she said, “You can put

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it in writing." When she had said this several times she took to saying instead, "You desired no answer, and you shall have none." At last, when the Duchess, instead of growing quieter, only grew more passionate, Anne said, "I will quit the room." The Duchess followed her in floods of tears, but the Queen only repeated, "You desired no answer, and you shall have none." At last the Duchess, quite beside herself, cried out, "I am confident you will suffer in this world or the next for so much inhumanity." The Queen answered angrily, "That is my business," and left the room. There was nothing for the Duchess to do but to sit down and dry her tears by herself. After a while she scratched at the Queen's door, and said that if it pleased the Queen, she would not go to her lodge at Windsor as long as the Queen was at the Castle. The Queen answered through the door that she might come if she pleased; it would give her no uneasiness. In this way their friendship ended; they never spoke together again after this.

The Duchess's friends all lost their places in the Government about this time, and her enemy Harley became supreme. He brought about the disgrace even of the great Duke of Marlborough himself, who had won so many splendid victories in the war against France. The Duke and Duchess went to spend the last years of Anne's reign on the Continent, and the Duchess was never again a person of importance at the English Court.

XLVII.

THE CHEVALIER CHARLES EDWARD.

A.D. 1745-1746.

THE Stuart Princes, as they wandered from one place of refuge in France or Italy to another, never gave up hope that some day they might win back the throne of their fathers. James II.'s son, James Edward, had since his birth been called by his enemies the Pretender; he was afterwards more politely called the Chevalier de St. George; his eldest son, Charles Edward, was called either the young Pretender or the young Chevalier. The old Chevalier had made one descent in Scotland to fight for the crown, which did not succeed, and after that he seems to have lost heart. But his son was fired with a desire to try his fortune, and see whether he could not win a throne for his father.

The young Chevalier was a brave handsome man with very winning manners. He did not fear danger, and loved wild adventures. At one time it seemed as if the French, who were at war with George II., King of England, would be willing to help him with soldiers and money. A fleet was got ready to take him to England. But a storm kept the fleet back, and the French gave up their idea of helping the Chevalier, though they allowed him to stay in France.