Certainly she was in blissful ignorance of having given offence, for as Gay wrote to the Dean so late as February 15th, 1728: "Mrs.Howard frequently asks after you and desires her compliments to you." All the matters affected not a whit the relations between Mrs.Howard and Gay; against her he had no ill-feeling, and their correspondence continued on the same lines of intimacy as before.
THE HON.MRS.HOWARD TO JOHN GAY.
October, 1727.
"I hear you expect, and have a mind to have, a letter from me, and though I have little to say, I find I don't care that you should be either disappointed or displeased.

Tell her Grace of Queensberry I don't think she looked kindly upon me when I saw her last; she ought to have looked and thought very kindly, for I am much more her humble servant than those who tell her so every day.

Don't let her cheat you in the pencils; she designs to give you nothing but her old ones.

I suppose she always uses those worst who love her best, Mrs.Herbert excepted; but I hear she has done handsomely by her.

I cannot help doing the woman this justice, that she can now and then distinguish merit.
"So much for her Grace; now for yourself, John.