ained: "You are wanted merely as a
witness before a jury of inquiry engaged in investigating a crime of some
sort. It may be Hamilton's fight at the Old Swan, or it may be the Roger
Wentworth affair. Perhaps some one is trying to fix that awful crime on
Hamilton. But I tell you, Frances, he is innocent."

I had not, at that time, explained to her that Hamilton and Churchill
were two hundred yards behind Crofts and his friends when the robbery was
committed, having felt that it was just as well not to make Hamilton's
innocence too clear.

We of the court considered ourselves exempt from processes of this sort
while in the palace. Therefore I carried the paper to the king, whom I
found at cards in his closet.

"What is it, Clyde?" asked his Majesty.

For answer, I handed him the subpoena, and when he had glanced over it,
he returned it to me, saying:--

"Please tell the sheriff for me that Mistress Jennings will appear before
the court of inquiry this afternoon at two o'clock."

"It is a disagreeable business for a lady, your Majesty," I remarked,
bowing. "But if it is your desire--"

"Yes, yes, Clyde! Come with me," he interrupted, leading me out of
the room to a corridor. "You see it is this way. We of the palace have
so frequently set the law at defiance of late that the citizens are
beginning to grumble. In this instance I should like to make a great
show of compliance. We'll make it easy for your cousin by going with her.
And Clyde, if you will say to the duchess for me that I should deem it a
favor if she and one or more of her ladies will accompany us, I doubt not
she will be glad to go."

"But, your Majesty, what has my cousin done that she should be dragged
before the courts of law?" I asked, pretending ignorance of the real
nature of the summons and hoping to ascertain whether the king knew
anything about the present occasion.

I gained the information I wanted when he replied instantly: "Oh, she is
not to be tried. She has done nothing. She is called only to be
questioned concerning a crime now under investigation." Then hedging
quickly, "That is, I suppose such is the purpose of the subpoena."

The king's manner and his evident knowledge of what was going on
convinced me that Hamilton was the subject of inquiry, and I greatly
feared an effort was being made to charge him with Roger Wentworth's
death or to arraign him because of his threats against the king's life.

I was about to leave the king