aste; but, indeed, they say very true,
that nothing is like the highway; for I got into a quicksand, where I
sunk up to the chin.' 'A quicksand,' said I, 'near Calais?' 'Yes, sir,'
said he, 'and such a quicksand that, the devil take me, if they saw
anything but the top of my head when they pulled me out: as for my
horse, fifteen men could scarce get him out; but the portmanteau, where
I had unfortunately put your clothes, could never be found: it must be
at least a league under ground.'

"This, sire," continued the Chevalier de Grammont, "is the adventure,
and the relation which this honest gentleman has given me of it. I
should certainly have killed him, but I was afraid of making Miss
Hamilton wait, and I was desirous of giving your Majesty immediate
advice of the quicksand, that your couriers may take care to avoid it."

The King was ready to split his sides with laughing, when the Chevalier
de Grammont, resuming the discourse, "apropos, sire," said he, "I had
forgot to tell you, that, to increase my ill-humour, I was stopped, as
I was getting out of my chair, by the devil of a phantom in masquerade,
who would by all means persuade me that the queen had commanded me
to dance with her; and as I excused myself with the least rudeness
possible, she charged me to find out who was to be her partner, and
desired me to send him to her immediately so that your Majesty will do
well to give orders about it; for she has placed herself in ambush in
a coach, to seize upon all those who pass through Whitehall. However,
I must tell you, that it is worth while to see her dress; for she must
have at least sixty ells of gauze and silver tissue about her, not
to mention a sort of a pyramid upon her head, adorned with a hundred
thousand baubles."

This last account surprised all the assembly, except those who had a
share in the plot. The queen assured them, that all she had appointed
for the ball were present; and the king, having paused some minutes: "I
bet," said he, "that it is the Duchess of Newcastle." "And I," said Lord
Muskerry, coming up to Miss Hamilton, "will bet it is another fool; for
I am very much mistaken if it is not my wife."

The king was for sending to know who it was, and to bring her in:
Lord Muskerry offered himself for that service, for the reason already
mentioned; and it was very well he did so. Miss Hamilton was not sorry
for this, knowing very well that he was not mistaken in his conjecture;
the jest would