fer, speak in her
person; and indicate withal where the very words are hers, and where
ours.

The Marwitz, elder Marwitz, her poor father being wounded at Mollwitz,
[_Militair-Lexikon,_ iii. 23; and _Preussische Adels-Lexikon,_ iii.
365.] had gone to Berlin to nurse him; but she returned just now,--not
much to my joy; I being, with some cause, jealous of that foolish minx.
The Duchess Dowager of Wurtemberg also came, sorrow on her; a foolish
talking woman, always cutting jokes, making eyes, giggling and
coquetting; "HAS some wit and manner, but wearies you at last: her
charms, now on the decline, were never so considerable as rumor said; in
the long-run she bores you with her French gayeties and sprightliness:
her character for gallantry is too notorious. She quite corrupted
Marwitz, in this and a subsequent visit; turned the poor girl's head
into a French whirligig, and undermined any little moral principle she
had. She was on the road to Berlin,"--of which anon, for it is not quite
nothing to us;--"but she was in no hurry, and would right willingly have
gone with us." And it required all our female diplomacy to get her
under way again, and fairly out of our course. January 28th, SHE off to
Berlin; WE, same day, to Frankfurt-on-Mayn. [Wilhelmina, ii. 334; see
pp. 335, 338, 347, &c. for the other salient points that follow.]

Coronation was to have been (or we Country-folk thought it was), January
31st: Let us be there INCOGNITO, the night before; see it, and return
the day after. That was our plan. Bad roads, waters all out; we had to
go night and day;--reached the gates of Frankfurt, 30th January late.
Berghover, our Legationsrath there, says we are known everywhere;
Coronation is not to be till February 12th! I was fatigued to death, a
bad cold on me, too: we turned back to the last Village; stayed there
overnight. Back again to Berghover, in secret (A LA SOURDINE), next
night; will see the Public Entry of Karl Albert, which is to be
to-morrow (not quite, my Princess; January 31st for certain, [Adelung,
iii. A, 63; &c. &c.] did one the least care). "It was a very grand thing
indeed (DES PLUS SUPERBES); but I will not stop describing it. Masked
ball that night; where I had much amusement, tormenting the masks; not
being known to anybody. We next day retired to a small private
House, which Berghover had got for us, out of Town, for fear of
being discovered; and lodged there, waiting February 12th, under
difficulties.