self, of Miss
Stewart, Miss Hyde, Miss Hamilton, and others like them--some of whom
were indeed good, but had the greatest difficulty in remaining so; for
the Court of Charles was a terrible place for virtue. It was astonishing
to me that the horror of the place had not before this affected me; but
it is always so. We are very philosophical, always, over the wrongs that
do not touch ourselves.

As to how my Cousin Dolly came to be in such a place, I began to think
that I understood. It must all have dated from that unhappy visit of the
Duke of Monmouth to Hare Street; my Cousin Tom must have followed up
that strange introduction, and the affair must have been worked through
Her Grace of Portsmouth. I think I could have taken my Cousin Tom by the
throat, and choked him, as I thought of this.

Meantime I had no idea as to what I should do the next day--except,
indeed, see His Majesty, and say, perhaps, one tenth of what I felt. I
had told Dolly we should ride at noon next day; I was beginning to
wonder whether this prediction would be fulfilled. Yet, though I had
begun to consider myself more than in the first flush, I still felt my
anger rise in me like a tide whenever I regarded the bare facts. But
mere anger would never do; and I set myself to drive it down. Besides,
it would be there, I knew, and ready, if I should need it on the next
day.

* * * * *

When I arrived at Mr. Chiffinch's the next morning, I found him in a
very grave mood. He did not rise as I came in, but nodded to me, only.

"Sit down, Mr. Mallock," said he. "This is a very serious affair."

"So I think," I said.

He waved that away.

"His Majesty hath heard every word of it, with embellishments. He is
very angry indeed. Nothing but what you have done for him lately could
have saved you; and even now I do not know--"

"Man," I said, "do not let us leave such talk as this. It is not I who
am in question--"

"I think you will find that it is," he answered me, with a quick look.

I strove to be patient, and, even more, to appear so.

"Well," I said, "what have I done? I am come back from France: I hear my
cousin is here; I go to see her; a fellow at the door is impertinent,
and I chastise him for it. Then I go upstairs to my cousin's parlour--"

"That is the point," he interrupted. "It is not your cousin's. It is the
lodging of the Maids of Honour."

Yes: he had me there. That was my weak point. But I would n