is promised bride, quietly returned to town, and
secretly communicated with her. It was therefore agreed between them she
should steal away from the palace, meet him at the "Bear at the Bridge
Foot," situated on the Southwark side of the river, where he would have
a coach awaiting her, in order they might ride away to his residence at
Cobham Hall, near Gravesend, and then be legally and happily united in
the holy bonds of matrimony. And all fell out as had been arranged: the
time being the month of March, 1667.

Now when the king discovered her flight, his anger knew no bounds,
though it sought relief in uttering many violent threats against the
duke, and in sending word to the duchess he would see her no more. In
answer to this message, she, with some show of spirit, returned him
the jewels he had given her, principal amongst which were a necklace of
pearls, valued at over a thousand pounds, and a pair of diamond pendants
of rare lustre.

Neither she nor her husband paid much heed to the royal menaces, for
before a year elapsed they both returned to town, and took up their
residence at Somerset House. Here, as Pepys records, she kept a great
court, "she being visited for her beauty's sake by people, as the queen
is at nights: and they say also she is likely to go to court again and
there put my Lady Castlemaine's nose out of joint. God knows that would
make a great turn." But to such proposals as were made regarding her
return to Whitehall, her husband would not pay heed, and she therefore
remained a stranger to its drawing-rooms for some time longer. And when
two years later she appeared there, her beauty had lost much of its
famed lustre, for meantime she was overtaken by smallpox, a scourge ever
prevalent in the capital. During her illness the king paid her several
visits, and was sorely grieved that the loveliness he so much prized
should be marred by foul disease. But on her recovery, the disfigurement
she suffered scarce lessened his admiration, and by no means abated his
love; which seemed to have gained fresh force from the fact of its being
interrupted awhile.

This soon became perceptible to all, and rumour whispered that the young
duchess would shortly return to Whitehall in a position which she had
declined before marriage. And amongst other stories concerning the
king's love for her, it was common talk that one fair evening in May,
when he had ordered his coach to be ready that he might take an airing
i