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It was possible that the entire invitation might be withdrawn, or a message might be sent that would make it impossible for General Grant to remain, and thus necessitate the return of the whole party to London.
Even international feeling might be aroused.
But General Grant had been assured that he should be treated as an ex-sovereign, and it seemed to him, with his democratic notions, that he was not treated as a private gentleman.
Certainly no private gentleman bidden with his son to the White House would have expected that son to dine at a different table and in a different room from himself.
As for me, I was acting as General Grant's aide-de-camp, and could not complain because I was to dine with the aides-de-camp of Her Majesty.
Still I felt that I had been invited by a lady and on arriving at her house was requested to sit at a different table from that to which I had been asked.
This might be royal etiquette, but it was not good breeding, and it never happened to me at another court.
However, I was determined that no question affecting me should complicate the affair or interfere with General Grant's success.
Besides this, I was a public officer, accredited to the Queen, and bound perhaps to accept her decisions in the etiquette of her own palace.
So no question whatever was made about me.
Finally we all dressed for dinner to be ready for whatever might happen, and before I returned to General Grant's drawing-room the Master of the Household came to me. He had delivered the General's message, and Her Majesty commanded him to say that she would be happy to have Mr. Jesse dine at her table.
So the difficulty was obviated by the good sense and good breeding of the Queen.
The party that dined with Her Majesty were all assembled before she entered the room.
After speaking with each guest separately the Queen took the arm of her son, Prince Leopold, afterward Duke of Albany, and General Grant was asked to give his arm to the Princess Christian.
The
S. S. Scranton and Co., Hartford, 1887.
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