countered Wycherley riding in his coach in an opposite direction.
Thrusting her head out of the window of her vehicle, she saluted the
author with a title unknown to the conversations of polite society in
the present day.

The fashionable playwright understanding the motive which prompted her
remark, hastily ordered his coach to follow hers; and, overtaking her,
uncovered and began a speech becoming so ardent a gallant.

"Madam," said he, "you have been pleased to bestow a title on me
which belongs only to the fortunate. Will your ladyship be at the play
to-night?"

"Well," replied her grace, well pleased at this beginning, "what if I am
there?"

"Why, then," answered he, "I will be there to wait on your ladyship,
though I disappoint a fine woman who has made me an assignation."

"So," said this frail daughter of Eve, greedily swallowing his flattery,
"you are sure to disappoint a woman who has favoured you for one who has
not?"

"Yes," quoth he, readily enough, "if the one who has not favoured me is
the finer woman of the two. But he who can be constant to your ladyship
till he can find a finer, is sure to die your captive."

That night her grace sat in the front row of the king's box at Drury
Lane playhouse, and sure enough there was handsome Will Wycherley
sitting in the pit underneath. The gentleman cast his eyes upwards
and sighed; the lady looked down and played with her fan; after which
preliminaries they fell into conversation which both found far more
interesting than the comedy then being enacted before their eyes. This
was the beginning of an intimacy concerning which the court made merry,
and of which the town spoke scandal. My lady disguised herself as a
country wench, and visited his chambers, Mr. Wycherley dedicated his
play, "Love in a Wood," to her in elegant phraseology, He was of opinion
that she stood as little in need of flattery as her beauty did of art;
he was anxious to let the world know he was the greatest admirer she
had; and he was desirous of returning her his grateful acknowledgment
for the favours he had received from her.

The interest of this romance was presently intensified by the
introduction of a rival in the person of the Duke of Buckingham.
Probably from fear an intrigue with such a prominent figure would, if
indulged in, quickly become known to the king, she refused to encourage
Buckingham's love. His grace was not only a passionate lover, but
likewise a revengeful man;