Gwynn." And turning hastily, he left the room.

As George was resuming his chair at the table in the tap-room, three
roystering, half-tipsy fellows, wearing the uniform of the King's Guard,
entered, flung themselves into chairs at the long table and called loudly
for brandy. Hamilton did not know any of them, though he knew by their
uniforms and swords that they were in the king's service.

Soon after the guardsmen were seated, Betty came from the kitchen
carrying a pot of hot tea and a bottle of wine for Nelly and Frances. As
she was passing the newcomers, one of them rose, seized her about the
waist, and tried to kiss her. But the girl belonged, flesh and blood,
to the class of women with whom kissing goes strictly by favor, so she
dashed the hot tea in the fellow's face and went her way with the bottle
of wine. Though the tea was hot, it cooled the fellow's ardor, and he sat
down, cursing furiously. Pickering tried to quiet him, saying:--

"A little less noise, please, gentlemen. A duchess and a princess are
dining in the next room."

"A duchess and a princess?" exclaimed one of the men. "We should like to
see the duchess and the princess that would dine here. By God! A duchess
and a princess! Come, gentlemen, let us introduce ourselves."

Accordingly the three of them made a dash for the door of the small
dining room and entered. Immediately a series of screams came from the
princess and the duchess, announcing that the intruders were introducing
themselves. Instantly Hamilton drew his sword and hastened to the rescue.
When he entered the room he saw one of the men embracing Nelly and
another trying to seize Frances. His first attention was given to the man
with Frances. He struck him with the hilt of his sword, stunning him for
the moment, but the fellow soon recovered, and the three ruffians drew
their blades.

Finding himself assailed from all quarters, George made a dash for a
corner of the room, where his back and flank were protected. In telling
me of it afterward, Frances said that she and Nelly were so badly
frightened that they could neither move nor scream. The deafening noise
of the clashing swords, the tramping of the heavy boots on the bare oak
floor, the blasphemous oaths of the drunken ruffians, and the stunning
din of battle almost deprived her of consciousness.

After a time all that she could see was Hamilton's face behind the
curtain of flashing swords, and all that she could hear, even ab