e
escorted me from Dover to London."

"He is an attentive squire," sneered the King.

"He hardly left my side," said Nell.

"You were hampered with a companion?"

"Of a truth I hardly noticed it," cried Nelly with magnificent
falsehood. I seconded her efforts with a shrug and a cunning smile.

"I begin to understand," said the King. "And when my farewell has been
said, what then?"

"I thought that it had been said half an hour ago," she exclaimed.
"Wasn't it?"

"You were anxious to hear it, and so seemed to hear it," said he
uneasily.

She turned to me with a grave face and tender eyes.

"Didn't I tell you here, just now, how the King parted from me?"

I was to take the stage now, it seemed.

"Ay, you told me," said I, playing the agitated lover as best I could.
"You told me that--that--but I cannot speak before His Majesty." And I
ended in a most rare confusion.

"Speak, sir," he commanded harshly and curtly.

"You told me," said I in low tones, "that the King left you. And I said
I was no King, but that you need not be left alone." My eyes fell to the
ground in pretended fear.

The swiftest glance from Nell applauded me. I would have been sorry for
him and ashamed for myself, had I not remembered M. de Perrencourt and
our voyage to Calais. In that thought I steeled myself to hardness and
bade conscience be still.

A long silence followed. Then the King drew near to Nell. With a rare
stroke of skill she seemed to shrink away from him and edged towards me,
as though she would take refuge in my arms from his anger or his
coldness.

"Come, I've never hurt you, Nelly!" said he.

Alas, that art should outstrip nature! Never have I seen portrayed so
finely the resentment of a love that, however greatly wounded, is still
love, that even in turning away longs to turn back, that calls even in
forbidding, and in refusing breathes the longing to assent. Her feet
still came towards me, but her eyes were on the King.

"You sent me away," she whispered as she moved towards me and looked
where the King was.

"I was in a temper," said he. Then he turned to me, saying "Pray leave
us, sir."

I take it that I must have obeyed, but Nell sprang suddenly forward,
caught my hand, and holding it faced the King.

"He shan't go; or, if you send him away, I'll go with him."

The King frowned heavily, but did not speak. She went on, choking down a
sob--ay, a true sob; the part she played moved her, and beneath her
a