limpse of her. She had heard many things about
the young wife, and she had her suspicions and upon them she formed
a plan to throw a taunt upon her Grace, bringing both Monmouth and
Cantemir into the case. She resolved to make Katherine as unhappy
as possible. She scrupled at nothing. Now the fair Constance prided
herself upon being a prisoner of the King; but she was not so certain
of his favour that she dare make one single open move against
Katherine. She must taunt her in secret; but how to do this was
puzzling, for she kept her apartment, partly from fatigue after her
long ride, and it may be from a disinclination to go abroad. So she
bided her time and ungraciously as she saw the popularity of the noble
woman grow and grow; she was fast becoming a great favourite. Indeed,
she was constantly visited by the King and Queen, and the greatest
ladies of the Court. The Queen had grown very fond of her, spending
hours in her company and oftentimes taking her for a walk or ride.
Before the Duchess had been within the Palace a month, she was
imitated in every way. Great ladies became so familiar, they would
take up her articles of the toilet and copy the manufacturer's name.
They in a short time were using the same concoction of rouge and
perfumes. Their maids must learn what Janet did for her mistress in
the way of baths, for "never was there such healthful and dainty
complexion." And when the Duke began buying cocoanuts by the wagon
load at an enormous expense, and 'twas known that her Grace drank the
milk of it by the quart, the King's cellar became too small to hold
the quantities that were brought to the ladies of the Court. And 'twas
said many of the young fops also used the milk for their complexion.
Constance had not yet ordered any of this fruit, but she ascertained
where the Duke's were kept and how it might be possible to obtain a
few of them for an object that was at least original. Before, however,
she resorted to the arts of chemistry, there was an opportunity to
give the Duchess a thrust. Two great chests were being unbound in
the corridor just outside of her Grace's door. Constance knew they
contained an elaborate and costly _layette_; so she hurried to her own
apartment and wrote in a disguised hand a billet that threw out the
worst of insinuations, and as a finale she added a _pasquinade_ copied
hastily from some low and bitter lampoon. She returned through the
corridor, and, unnoticed, thrust the paper int