*

Frances took my advice, along with the king's pension, and soon learned
that as good wine needs no bush, so true virtue needs no defence.

A brief account of Frances's triumphs and adventures at court is
necessary before this history can be brought to the point of Hamilton's
return; that is, to the time when I knew he was in London.

Her first great triumph was over the heart of the king, to whose
lovemaking she learned to listen and to smile; not the smile of assent,
but of amusement.

Soon our august monarch became silly with love of the new beauty, and
with her help often made himself ridiculous. On one occasion, a few
months after Frances's installation as maid of honor, he left a love note
in her muff which she pushed out at one end as she thrust her hand in at
the other. She was careful to do this little trick in such a manner that
those who saw the king place the note in her muff should see it fall out.
It was picked up by an inquisitive soul, reached the hands of the
"lampooners," and appeared in biting verse in the next issue of the _News
Letter_.

When the king complained to Frances of her ill-treatment of his note, she
declared, with a great show of astonishment, that she had not seen it,
which was literally true, since she had only felt it. She said that it
must have fallen to the ground as she took up her muff, and tried to make
it appear that she was greatly disappointed.

"I would not slight so great an honor as a letter from my king," she said
demurely.

"No, no," returned his Majesty, laughing. "Our most devoted subject would
not slight her king's message. I believe you did it intentionally."

"In which case your Majesty will leave no more notes for me in public,"
answered Frances. And the king's choice lay between taking offence and
looking upon the affair as a jest. He was too far gone in love to take
offence, so he chose to laugh.

On another occasion, at the queen's ball, the king asked Frances to walk
out to the garden with him.

"It is dark, your Majesty, and I fear the dark," she replied. "Let us
walk there in the daytime, so that every one may see how graciously my
king honors me."

He could not coax her out, so he said: "Very well, my prudish Miss
Solomon. Have your way and break my heart."

"To do either would please me," she retorted. "I like to have my own way,
and there are few women who would not be delighted to break a handsome
king's heart."

Frances having captured