Cromwell, who knew better than others knew the true nature of the king's adventure, was waiting nervously at Greenwich for the result of the experiment. He presented himself on the king's appearance, and asked him "how he liked the Lady Anne." The abrupt answer confirmed his fears. "Nothing so well as she was spoken of," the king said. "If I had known as much before as I know now, she should never have come into the realm." "But what remedy?" he added, in despondency.[543] The German alliance was already shaking at its base: the court was agitated and alarmed; the king was miserable. Cromwell, to whom the blame was mainly due, endeavoured for a moment to shrink from his responsibility, and accused Southampton of having encouraged false hopes in his letters from Calais. Southampton answered fairly that the fault did not rest with him. He had been sent to bring the queen into England, and it was not his place to "dispraise her appearance." "The matter being so far gone," he had supposed his duty was to make the best of it.[544] [Sidenote: January 2. Friday.] [Sidenote: Saturday, January 3. Arrival of the Lady Anne at the palace.] [Sidenote: Henry endeavours to extricate himself,] [Sidenote: Sunday. January 4.] [Sidenote: And requires an explanation of the pre-contract] Among these recriminations passed the night of Friday, while Charles V. was just commencing his triumphal progress through France. The day following, the innocent occasion of the confusion came on to Greenwich. The marriage had been arranged for the Sunday after. The prospects were altogether dark, and closer inspection confirmed the worst apprehensions. The ladies of the court were no less shocked than their husbands. The unfortunate princess was not only unsightly, but she had "displeasant airs" about her; and Lady Brown imparted to Sir Anthony "how she saw in the queen such fashions, and manner of bringing up so gross, that she thought the king would never love her." Henry met her on the stairs when her barge arrived. He conducted her to her apartments, and on the way Cromwell saw her with his own eyes. The sovereign and the minister then retired together, and the just displeasure became visible. "How say you, my lord?" the king said. "Is it not as I told you? Say what they will, she is nothing fair. The personage is well and seemly, but nothing else." Cromwell attempted faintly to soothe him by suggesting that she had "a queenly manner." The king agreed to that;[545] but the recommendation was insufficient to overcome the repugnance which he had conceived; and he could resolve on nothing. A frail fibre of hope offered itself in the story of the pre-contract with the Count of Lorraine. Henry caught at it to postpone the marriage for two days; and, on the Sunday morning he sent for the German suite who had attended the princess, and requested to see the papers connected with the Lorraine treaty. Astonished and unprepared, they requested time to consider.