His Majesty returned above in a very ill-humour, to find himself
confronted in his own apartments by my Lady Castlemaine. Chiffinch had
introduced her by the back-stairs entrance. Charles stiffened at sight
of her.

"I hope I may be allowed to pay my homage," says she, on a note of
irony, "although the angelic Stewart has forbid you to see me at my own
house. I come to condole with you upon the affliction and grief into
which the new-fashioned chastity of the inhuman Stewart has reduced your
Majesty."

"You are pleased to be amused, ma'am," says Charles frostily.

"I will not," she returned him, "make use of reproaches which would
disgrace myself; still less will I endeavour to excuse frailties in
myself which nothing can justify, since your constancy for me deprives
me of all defence." Her ladyship, you see, had a considerable gift of
sarcasm.

"In that case, may I ask you why you have come?"

"To open your eyes. Because I cannot bear that you should be made the
jest of your own Court."

"Madam!"

"Ah! You didn't know, of course, that you are being laughed at for
the gross manner in which you are being imposed upon by the Stewart's
affectations, any more than you know that whilst you are denied
admittance to her apartments, under the presence of some indisposition,
the Duke of Richmond is with her now."

"That is false," he was beginning, very indignantly.

"I do not desire you to take my word for it. If you will follow me,
you will no longer be the dupe of a false prude, who makes you act so
ridiculous a part."

She took him, still half-resisting, by the hand, and in silence led him,
despite his reluctance, back by the way he had so lately come. Outside
her rival's door she left him, but she paused at the end of the gallery
to make sure that he had entered.

Within he found himself confronted by several of Miss Stewart's
chambermaids, who respectfully barred his way, one of them informing him
scarcely above a whisper that her mistress had been very ill since his
Majesty left, but that, being gone to bed, she was, God be thanked, in a
very fine sleep.

"That I must see," said the King. And, since one of the women placed
herself before the door of the inner room, his Majesty unceremoniously
took her by the shoulders and put her aside.

He thrust open the door, and stepped without further ceremony into the
well-lighted bedroom. Miss Stewart occupied the handsome, canopied bed.
But far from being as