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Louisa.
    ‘Oh, she did, but I shouldn’t have done it. I should have folded my hands together thus, raised my eyes to the ceiling so, and have said as the dear Bish-Up would: ‘Madam, you have committed a grave error. Pray mend your ways … saying the Lord’s prayer before you utter. Wear a Charity School girl’s gown.’ Oh there are lots of things I should have done, but what I did was slap her face.’
    They were laughing. Dear Gagy! Dear Louisa! She could always rely on them.
    ‘Now let’s talk.’
    ‘What about, Your Highness?’
    ‘Me, of course. Talk about the things I used to do.’
    It was one of those cosy chats when they all laughed together about the antics, comic and tragic, good and wicked, which had been recorded of Charlotte. They would never admit to the wickedness – that was why they were so much more comforting than the Bishop – they said the worst were natural childish mischief and high spirits.
    ‘Always so good,’ said Mrs Gagarin. ‘Do you remember the boy in the ditch?’
    They all remembered it; they had heard it many times before, but that was no reason why they should not hear it again.
    ‘There he was lying in the ditch – a poor starving boy – and Your Highness would not leave him there. “What ails you?” Your Highness wanted to know. He was cold and hungry and he had hurt his hand. It was sore and bleeding. And what did Your Highness do but bind it yourself. Of course they did not like that. They reprimanded Your Highness. You might have caught some disease. And what did Your Highness say?’
    Charlotte supplied the answer: ‘“Jesus was not afraid to heal the leper, so why should I be to bind this poor boy’s hand?” Why, that might have been my lord Bish-Up himself talking. But at least I did it. And I gave him food and money and he was very grateful to me, that boy. I was not always such a paragon, was I?’
    ‘You had your naughty moments.’
    ‘Quite a number of them.’
    ‘I remember when Her Highness sang in the royal drawing room,’ said Louisa, giggling a little.
    ‘Such a little thing. The Princess Mary made her stand on a stool and sing for the company.’
    ‘She was wearing a pink silk dress with a white satin sash, looking lovely.’
    ‘And I sang the wrong notes, I remember. They all clapped and said I was wonderful … and they only did that because I was the Princess.’
    ‘It was a pretty sight. The King wept openly.’
    ‘He weeps very easily.’
    ‘And the Prince was so proud.’
    ‘I don’t think he could have been really proud for he sings so well himself. He probably pretended to be proud because it was good manners to do so. He thinks so much about manners.’
    ‘And all the Princesses applauded and the Queen was pleased.’
    ‘She is not often pleased with me.’
    ‘Oh, she was very pleased. It was a beautiful occasion.’
    Charlotte was pensive suddenly. ‘But something bad came out of it. Oh dear, I’m afraid I am very wicked. The next day I asked my music master how I had sung and he said, “Perfectly.” I was in a sudden rage because it wasn’t true. I was angry with myself really for standing up there and not singing perfectly. So I turned my anger on him and I said he was a fool and I would not be taught by a fool who was afraid to correct his pupil because she was a princess.’
    ‘Well, that was good. It shows how right you were not to accept flattery.’
    ‘But I refused to allow him to teach me and he was dismissed and although afterwards I asked my father to bring him back to teach me, he did not. So you see that was pride in a way … pride in a sort of virtue which ended in that poor music master’s dismissal. I hope he has forgiven me. Oh, let’s not talk of me. Let’s talk of you. Tell me about Mr Gagarin, do please. I love to hear of him. I wonder where he is now. In Russia do you think? But perhaps it pains you, dear Gagy. Does it?’
    ‘It’s all too long ago.’
    ‘Then tell us again.’
    So Mrs