favour.

The Duke fell to his protestations again, and Carford still listened
with an acquiescence that seemed strange in a suitor for the lady's
hand. But now Barbara's modesty took alarm; the signal of confusion flew
in her cheeks, and she looked round, distressed to see how many watched
them. Monmouth cared not a jot. I made bold to slip across to Carford,
and said to him in a low tone,

"My lord, his Grace makes Mistress Barbara too much marked. Can't you
contrive to interrupt him?"

He stared at me with a smile of wonder. But something in my look
banished his smile and set a frown in its place.

"Must I have more lessons in manners from you, sir?" he asked. "And do
you include a discourse on the interrupting of princes?"

"Princes?" said I.

"The Duke of Monmouth is----"

"The King's son, my lord," I interposed, and, carrying my hat in my
hand, I walked up to Barbara and the Duke. She looked at me as I came,
but not now mockingly; there was rather an appeal in her eyes.

"Your Grace will not let me lose my audience with the King?" said I.

He started, looked at me, frowned, looked at Barbara, frowned deeper
still. I remained quiet, in an attitude of great deference. Puzzled to
know whether I had spoken in sheer simplicity and ignorance, or with a
meaning which seemed too bold to believe in, he broke into a doubtful
laugh. In an instant Barbara drew away with a curtsey. He did not pursue
her, but caught my arm, and looked hard and straight in my face. I am
happily somewhat wooden of feature, and a man could not make me colour
now, although a woman could. He took nothing by his examination.

"You interrupted me," he said.

"Alas, your Grace knows how poor a courtier I am, and how ignorant----"

"Ignorant!" he cried; "yes, you're mighty ignorant, no doubt; but I
begin to think you know a pretty face when you see it, Master Simon
Dale. Well, I'll not quarrel. Isn't she the most admirable creature
alive?"

"I had supposed Lord Carford thought so, sir."

"Oh! And yet Lord Carford did not hurry me off to find the King! But
you? What say you to the question?"

"I'm so dazzled, sir, by all the beautiful ladies of His Majesty's Court
that I can hardly perceive individual charms."

He laughed again, and pinched my arm, saying,

"We all love what we have not. The Duke of York is in love with truth,
the King with chastity, Buckingham with modesty of demeanour, Rochester
with seemliness, Arlington with sinc