the
shadow of a smile from me, even though he is the king's son."

"I commend your discretion, Betty," said George. "But if Monmouth and his
friends have been coming here, the Old Swan must be having rare company."

"Yes," returned Betty, with a touch of pride. "A duchess and a princess
are now taking dinner in the small dining room. There! You may hear the
princess laughing now! She is a merry one."

"A princess, say you, Betty?" asked George. "Nonsense! That is Nelly
Gwynn laughing. I should know her laugh in the din of battle."

"Nelly Gwynn?" cried Betty, joyously. There was not in all England a
duchess nor a princess half so great in Betty's opinion as Nelly Gwynn.
She was the queen of all London east of Temple Bar, and dearer to the
City's heart than any one else at court.

George, too, liked Nelly, and when Betty left him to fetch the pot of tea
from the kitchen for the ladies, he determined to go to the private
dining room and see the king's sweetest sweetheart, from whom he knew he
would hear all the news of court, including perhaps a word about Frances.

Taking his hat from the floor, Hamilton entered the small dining room and
hurried toward the princess and the duchess. Frances sat with her back
toward the door, so that she did not see him as he approached, nor did he
see her face. When Nelly saw him she rose hastily, stretched out her
hands in welcome, and exclaimed:--

"Well, well, handsome George, as sure as I'm not a bishop's wife! How are
you, my long-lost love?"

She stepped forward to meet him, gave him both her hands, stood on tiptoe
to be kissed, and when that pleasing operation had been finished, said:--

"Come with me. I want to present you to my hated rival, the king's latest
love. Mistress Jennings, this is my dangerous friend, Master George
Hamilton."

Nelly's words were my cousin's first warning of Hamilton's presence, and
her surprise, nay, her consternation, deprived her, for the moment, of
the power to think. Hamilton bowed low before my cousin and said:--

"I have the great pleasure of knowing Mistress Jennings."

Anger came to Frances's help, and she retorted: "You are mistaken, sir.
You have not the pleasure of knowing me, nor have I the humiliation of
knowing you."

She turned again to her dinner. Nelly whistled in surprise, and Hamilton
said: "I beg your pardon." Then turning to Nelly: "I thought I knew the
king's new lady love, but it seems I was mistaken. Adieu, Mistress