he King.

He was about to demand a direct reply but was stayed by the sound of a
struggle without.

It befell in the nick of time for Nell, as all things, indeed, in life
seemed to befall in the nick of time for her. The impious huswives shook
their heads and attributed it to the evil influence; the pious huswives
asserted it was providential; Nell herself laughingly declared it was
her lucky star.

"Ho, without there!" Charles cried, impatiently--almost angrily--at the
interruption. "Whence comes this noisy riot?"

James, Rochester and the others unceremoniously re-entered.

"Pardon, Sire," explained the Duke of York; "the guard caught but now an
armed ruffian prowling by the house. They report they stayed him on
suspicion of his looks and insolence."

"Adair! Adair! My life upon't!" laughed the King, ever ready for sport.
"Set him before us."

An officer of the guard departed quickly to bring in the offender. The
courtiers took up the King's cry most readily; and there was a general
cackle of "Adair!" "Adair!" "A trial!" "Sire!" "Bring in the coward!"

Nell stood in the midst of the scene, the picture of demure innocence.

"They've caught Adair!" she whispered to Moll, mischievously.

"Aye, gallants," cried the Merry Monarch, approvingly, "we'll form a
Court of Inquiry. This table shall be our bench, on which we'll hem and
haw and puff and look judicial. Odsfish, we will teach Radamanthus and
Judge Jeffreys ways of terrorizing."

He sprang upon the table, which creaked somewhat beneath the royal
burden, and assumed the austere, frowning brow of worldly justice.

"_Oyer, oyer_, all ye who have grievances--" cried the garrulous
Rochester in the husky tones of the crier, who most generally assumes
that he is the whole court and oftentimes should be.

"Mistress Nell," commanded the royal judge, summoning Nell to the bar,
"thou shalt be counsel for the prisoner; Adair's life hangs upon thy
skill to outwit the law."

"Or bribe the judge, Sire?" suggested Nell, demurely.

"Not with thy traitor lips," retorted Charles, with the injured dignity
of a petty justice about to commit a flash of true wit for contempt of
court.

"Traitor lips?" cried Nell, sadly. "By my troth, I never kissed Adair. I
confess, I tried, your Majesty; but I could not."

"Have a care," replied the King, in a tone which indicated that the
fires of suspicion still smouldered in his breast; "I am growing
jealous."

Nell fell upon one