William Pitt Junior appeared cautious and did not directly respond to Grenville's suggestion of forming a cabinet.
That evening, as the outgoing Mr. Prime Minister dragged his weary body home, still thinking about how to handle the conflict between Duncan and Jervis, his wife Anna came forward to help him take off his coat, saying:
"I met Lady Melville at today's charity bazaar. You know, we don't usually associate much."
Grenville sharply sensed that something was unusual. Lord Melville had served as Minister of the Interior and Logistics Officer of the Navy Board and was currently Chairman of the India Affairs Committee, an absolute power player in the political arena.
He quickly asked his wife, "What did she say to you?"
"Well, the weather, fashion," Anna recalled, "Oh, she also mentioned that Portsmouth Shipyard had just built a new battleship 'Prince,' using a lot of new technology, sails, ropes, and such, with the smallest cannon being 24 pounds..."
