Meanwhile the daring woman, who retained her office in defiance of sovereign, prime minister, and all the other high officials, drove about town in her magnificent coach, and made visits to different members of her party for the purpose of calumniating the queen. She was not permitted to enter the royal presence, and kept the gold keys that really belonged to the new officials; but she boldly declared that her majesty would soon want new gowns, and then she would be compelled to come to her to give orders for them. But she was mistaken, for on the return of the duke in December there was to be an end of her influence with the queen in every particular. On his arrival in London the duke took a hack and drove direct to St. James's, where he had a private half hour's interview with the queen. In his peculiar plaintive tone of voice he lamented his connection with the Whigs, and told her majesty "that he was worn out with fatigue, age, and misfortunes," and added "that he was neither covetous nor ambitious,"--at which she could scarcely suppress a smile. At the close of the interview the queen requested him to tell his wife "that she wished back her gold keys as groom of the stole and mistress of the robes." The duke remonstrated, but the queen merely replied: "It was for her honor that the keys should be returned forthwith." The duke entreated that this matter might be delayed until after the peace, which must take place the ensuing summer, when he and his wife would retire together. The queen would not delay the return of the keys one week. The duke fell on his knees and begged for a respite of ten days; the queen compromised, and named three as the utmost limit. Two days later the duke again presented {488}himself at St. James's on urgent business; but her majesty refused to speak with him, unless he had brought the gold keys. Thereupon he returned home to get them, when a stormy scene ensued, which ended by his wife throwing the key's at his head. When the queen received them from the duke's hands, she said, "she valued them more than if he had brought her the spoils of an enemy." [[A.D. 1711.]] Early in the following year Queen Anne divided between the Duchess of Somerset and Mrs. Ma-sham the offices formerly held by the Duchess of Marlborough, the former being made mistress of the robes and groom of the stole; the latter, keeper of the privy-purse. On the second of May Queen Anne's uncle, the Earl of Rochester, died suddenly of apoplexy. Although Anne was his own niece, the earl had never concealed from her his opinion that she had no right to the crown she wore; but he had consented to aid her in the government, and was, as we know, made president of the council. But he entertained to the last day of his life the hope that he should see the son of James II. restored to the throne, and was the means of causing several letters to pass between James Stuart, or the Chevalier de St. George, as he was then called, and the queen.