ery
modern European history. Lord Hervey insists that the surgeons showed
utter incapacity, made a shocking and fatal mistake; cut away as
mortified flesh that in which there was no mortification whatever.
Then Sir Robert Walpole, who had been sent for, comes on the scene.
The King ordered him to be brought in from the outer room, and Walpole
came in and tried to drop on his knees to kiss the King's hand. It was
not easy to do, Sir Robert was so bulky and unwieldy. He found it hard
to get down, and harder still to get up again. However, the solemn
duty was accomplished somehow, and then Sir Robert was conducted to the
Queen's bedside. He dropped some tears, which we may be sure were
sincere, even if by no means unselfish. He was in utter dread of
losing all his power over the King if the Queen were to die. The Queen
recommended the King, her children, and the kingdom to his care, and
Sir Robert seems to have been much pleased with the implied compliment
of the recommendation.

{120}

The moment Walpole got to private speech with Lord Hervey, he at once
exhibited the nature of his grief and alarm. "My lord," he exclaimed,
"if this woman should die, what a scene of confusion will there be!
Who can tell into whose hands the King will fall, or who will have the
management of him?" Lord Hervey tried to reassure him, and told him
that his influence over the King would be stronger than ever. Walpole
could not see it, and they argued the matter over for a long time. The
talk lasted two or three hours, much to Lord Hervey's dissatisfaction,
for it kept him out of bed, and this happened to be the first night
since the Queen had fallen ill when he had any chance of a good night's
rest; and now behold, with the Prime-minister's unseasonable anxiety
about the affairs of State, Lord Hervey's chance is considerably
diminished. Even this little episode has its fit and significant place
in the death-bed story. The Prime-minister will insist on talking over
the prospects--his own prospects or those of the nation--with the
lord-in-waiting; and the lord-in-waiting is very sleepy, and, having
had a hope of a night's rest, is only alarmed lest the hope should be
disappointed. No one appears to have said a word as to what would be
better or worse for the Queen.

The Queen was strongly under the belief that she would die on a
Wednesday. She was born on a Wednesday, married on a Wednesday,
crowned on a Wednesday, gave birth t