o tell him of his
daughter's experience, and of the plan of action agreed upon, though we
did not mention the king's name, leading Sir Richard to believe that we
did not know the guilty persons.

Sir Richard and Sarah readily agreed that secrecy was our only means of
saving Frances from ruinous publicity. Sarah especially grasped the point
and cleared the situation of all cloud by suggesting:--

"My sister has been here ever since yesterday noon, as my father, John
Churchill, and I will testify."

That was a very long speech for Sarah, but it was a helpful one. I, too,
might add my testimony and thus furnish enough evidence to convince any
reasonable person that Frances had not been kidnapped, but had remained
safe and well in her father's house through all this terrible night.

Just as soon as our plans were completed, I left my uncle's house and
took another coach for Charing Cross, dismissed the coach, ran down to
Whitehall, and climbed over the balcony to my closet, glad to find myself
once more at home. I did not permit myself to sleep, but rose at the
usual hours and was at my post ready for duty when the others arrived.

I soon learned that the king had been away from the palace all night,
having left in a coach near the hour of five the preceding afternoon, so
that he must have been not far ahead of George, Betty, and me on the way
to Merlin House. When I learned that he was away, and that I would not be
needed that morning at the Wardrobe, I went to seek Frances.

Before ten o'clock, the hour at which the maids assembled to greet the
duchess in her closet, Frances was on hand, looking pale, and explaining
that she had been ill at her father's house over night.

Near the hour of four that afternoon, while I was looking out the window,
I saw a coach approach from the direction of Charing Cross, and seemed to
know that the king was in it. I hastened to Frances and told her to
station herself where the king could see her before he went to his
closet, and perhaps speak to her. I stood near by, and when the king
entered I noticed him start on seeing Frances. When he came up to us, she
smiled and made so deep a courtesy that one would have thought she was
overjoyed to see him.

The king stopped before us for a moment, saying, "We have had a terrible
storm, baron."

"Indeed we have, your Majesty," I answered, bowing, "though I have not so
much as thrust my head out-of-doors save to go down to Sir Richard's
ye