f any Ladies whom Sir Robert might object to; that I thought there
might be a disposition to yield to the removal of the Mistress of the
Robes, Lady Normanby, and the Duchess of Bedford, as being connected
with leading political persons in Government.

Endeavoured to impress upon Sir Robert that if he acts fairly and
kindly towards the Queen, he will be met in the same spirit.

Sir Robert said he had considered the probable object of my interview,
and thought, from my former position with Lord Melbourne, that Lord
Melbourne would be aware of my coming. He must be assured of this
before he could speak confidentially to me.

Upon this I admitted that Lord Melbourne had knowledge of my
intention, but that I was not authorised to say that he had.

Sir Robert said, "I shall put aside all form, and treat you frankly
and confidentially. You may depend upon every word you say being held
as sacred. No part, without further permission, shall be mentioned
even to the Duke, much less to any of my other colleagues.

"_I would waive every pretension to office, I declare to God! sooner
than that my acceptance of it should be attended with any personal
humiliation to the Queen._"

He thought that giving in the names of those Ladies whom he considered
obnoxious was an offensive course towards the Queen.

For the sake of office, which he did not covet, he could not concede
any constitutional principle, but it was not necessary that that
principle should be mooted.

"It would be repulsive to my feelings that Her Majesty should part
with any of her Ladies, as the _result of a forced stipulation on my
part_; in a party sense it would doubtless be advantageous to me to
say that I had demanded from the Queen, and the Queen had conceded to
me the appointments of these three Ladies."

The mode he would like, and which he considered as least objectionable
for Her Majesty, was for Her Majesty to say to him, "There is no
occasion to revive this constitutional question, as those ladies
immediately connected with prominent members of the Administration
have sent in their resignation."

The vacancies existing before Sir Robert Peel sees Her Majesty, there
is no necessity for discussion.

On the one hand, by this means, there was less appearance of insult to
the Queen, and on the other, there was no appearance of concession of
principle upon his.

Sir Robert was ready to make any personal sacrifice for Her Majesty's
comfort, except that