four o'clock before
We had had a field day at Wormwood Scrubs on Monday , a regimental polo match at Hurlingham on Tuesday , a mess dinner given to the Hereditary Prince of Liedenvald on Wednesday , while on Thursday there was a garden party at Marlborough House , a state dinner at Buckingham Palace , and dances at no less than four houses afterwards . When I opened my eyes in the morning , it was with the feeling that I had a vast amount of work to get through before I should be able to close them again . How little I imagined the variety of emotions to which I was to be subjected before that event could take place ! That afternoon , at the last moment , I was detained at the barracks for some little time ; in consequence , it was considerably past four o'clock before I entered the gates of Marlborough House . Having paid my respects to the most charming hostess in England , if not in the world , I crossed the lawn in search of acquaintances . Seated under a tree I discovered my kind friend the Duchess of Laverstock . She was talking to the Russian Ambassador at the moment , but was kind enough to receive me very graciously .