e I am here, ready to
support it with the best blood in my veins. But has the king really come
hither entirely unattended?'

'He has no man with him but young ------, as aide de camp, and a single
valet de chambre.'

'No MAN--but, Redgauntlet, as you are a gentleman, has he no woman with
him?'

Redgauntlet cast his eyes on the ground and replied, 'I am sorry to
say--he has.'

The company looked at each other, and remained silent for a moment.
At length Sir Richard proceeded. 'I need not repeat to you, Mr.
Redgauntlet, what is the well-grounded opinion of his Majesty's friends
concerning that most unhappy connexion there is but one sense and
feeling amongst us upon the subject. I must conclude that our humble
remonstrances were communicated by you, sir, to the king?'

'In the same strong terms in which they were couched,' replied
Redgauntlet. 'I love his Majesty's cause more than I fear his
displeasure.'

'But, apparently, our humble expostulation has produced no effect.
This lady, who has crept into his bosom, has a sister in the Elector
of Hanover's court, and yet we are well assured that our most private
communication is placed in her keeping.'

'VARIUM ET MUTABILE SEMPER FEMINA,' said Dr. Grumball.

'She puts his secrets into her work-bag,' said Maxwell; 'and out they
fly whenever she opens it. If I must hang, I would wish it to be in
somewhat a better rope than the string of a lady's hussey.'

'Are you, too, turning dastard, Maxwell?' said Redgauntlet, in a
whisper.

'Not I,' said Maxwell; 'let us fight for it, and let them win and wear
us; but to be betrayed by a brimstone like that'--

'Be temperate, gentlemen,' said Redgauntlet; 'the foible of which you
complain so heavily has always been that of kings and heroes; which I
feel strongly confident the king will surmount, upon the humble entreaty
of his best servants, and when he sees them ready to peril their all in
his cause, upon the slight condition of his resigning the society of
a female favourite, of whom I have seen reason to think he hath been
himself for some time wearied. But let us not press upon him rashly
with our well-meant zeal. He has a princely will as becomes his princely
birth, and we, gentlemen, who are royalists, should be the last to take
advantage of circumstances to limit its exercise. I am as much surprised
and hurt as you can be, to find that he has made her the companion of
this journey, increasing every chance of treachery