“. . . Oh, this wicked Pavillion! we were there till ½
past one this morng., and it has kept me in bed with the headache till 12
to-day. . . . The invitation did not come to us till 9 o’clock: we went
in Lord Thurlow’s carriage, and were
in fear of being too late; but the Prince
did not come out of the dining-room till 11. Till then our only companions were
Lady Downshire and Mr. and
Miss Johnstone—the former very good-natured and
amiable. . . . When the Prince appeared, I instantly saw he had got more wine
than usual, and it was still more evident that the German Baron was extremely
drunk. The Prince came up and
| 66 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch. III. |
“It appears to me I have found a true friend in Mac.* He is even more foolish than I expected; but I shall be disappointed if, even to you, he does not profess himself my devoted admirer.
“Afterwards the Prince led all the party to the table where the maps lie, to see him shoot with an air-gun at a target placed at the end of the room. He did it very skilfully, and wanted all the ladies to attempt it. The girls and I excused ourselves on account of our short sight; but Lady Downshire hit a fiddler in the dining-room, Miss Johnstone a door and Bloomfield the ceiling. . . . I soon had enough of this, and retired to the fire with Mac. . . . At last a waltz was played by the band, and the Prince offered to waltz with Miss Johnstone, but very quietly, and once round the table made him giddy, so of course it was proper for his partner to be giddy too; but he cruelly only thought of supporting himself, so she reclined on the Baron.”
