when a middle-aged lady, simply dressed in widow's "weeds" and
wearing a widow's cap, rose from an ordinary arm-chair to receive
us. I duly made my bow, but having a sort of idea that it had to
be indefinitely repeated, went on nodding like a porcelain Chinese
mandarin, until ordered to stop.

Between ourselves, I behaved far better than a brother of mine
once did under similar circumstances. Many years before I was
born, my father lent his Scotch house to Queen Victoria and the
Prince Consort for ten days. This entailed my two eldest sisters
and two eldest brothers vacating their nurseries in favour of the
Royal children, and their being transferred to the farm, where
they had very cramped quarters indeed. My second brother deeply
resented being turned out of his comfortable nursery, and refused
to be placated. On the day after the Queen's arrival, my mother
took her four eldest children to present them to Her Majesty, my
sisters dressed in their best clothes, my brothers being in kilts.
They were duly instructed as to how they were to behave, and upon
being presented, my two sisters made their curtsies, and my eldest
brother made his best bow. "And this, your Majesty, is my second
boy. Make your bow, dear," said my mother; but my brother, his
heart still hot within him at being expelled from his nursery,
instead of bowing, STOOD ON HIS HEAD IN HIS KILT, and remained
like that, an accomplishment of which he was very proud. The Queen
was exceedingly angry, so later in the day, upon my brother
professing deep penitence, he was taken back to make his
apologies, when he did precisely the same thing over again, and
was consequently in disgrace during the whole of the Royal visit.
In strict confidence, I believe that he would still do it to-day,
more than seventy-two years later.