young," she simpers, "I'd cuff your ears, you saucy
Pierre!"

"So young!" mutters Pierre Radisson, with grim looks at her powdered
locks. "Egad's life, so is the bud on a century plant young," and he
turns to his wife.

But my Lady Kirke was blush-proof.

"Don't forget to pay special compliments to the favourites," she calls,
as we set out for Whitehall; and she must run to the door in a flutter
and ask if Pierre Radisson has any love-verse ready writ, in case of an
_amour_ with one of the court ladies.

"No," says Radisson, "but here are unpaid tailor bills! 'Tis as good
as your _billets-doux_! I'll kiss 'em just as hard!"

"So!" cries Lady Kirke, bobbing a courtesy and blowing a kiss from her
finger-tips as we rolled away in Sir John's coach.

"The old flirt-o'-tail," blurted Radisson, "you could pack her brains
in a hazel-nut; but 'twould turn the stomach of a grub!"

* * * * * *

'Twas not the Whitehall you know to-day, which is but a remnant of the
grand old pile that stretched all the way from the river front to the
inner park. Before the fires, Whitehall was a city of palaces reaching
far into St. James, with a fleet of royal barges at float below the
river stairs. From Scotland Yard to Bridge Street the royal ensign
blew to the wind above tower and parapet and battlement. I mind under
the archway that spanned little Whitehall Street M. Radisson dismissed
our coachman.

"How shall we bring up the matter of Hortense?" I asked.

"Trust me," said Radisson. "The gods of chance!"

"Will you petition the king direct?"

"Egad--no! Never petition a selfish man direct, or you'll get a No!
Bring him round to the generous, so that he may take all credit for it
himself! Do you hold back among the on-lookers till I've told our
story o' the north! 'Tis not a state occasion! Egad, there'll be
court wenches aplenty ready to take up with a likely looking man! Have
a word with Hortense if you can! Let me but get the king's ear--" And
Radisson laughed with a confidence, methought, nothing on earth could
shake.

Then we were passed from the sentinel doing duty at the gate to the
king's guards, and from the guards to orderlies, and from orderlies to
fellows in royal colours, who led us from an ante-room to that glorious
gallery of art where it pleased the king to take his pleasure that
night.

It was not a state occasion, as Radisson said; but for a moment I think
the g