On the morning of the day when Mr. Secretary Nicholas was ordered to bring up the papers in the case of Rex v. Le Gallais, the Lieutenant-Governor of the small territory to which Charles’s sway was for the present restricted had a long audience.  The king had, in his light way, lamented the loss of his petulant favourite.  But Carteret had, with less pains than he had looked for, succeeded in convincing the facile and intelligent sovereign that for both the quarrel and its result Tom Elliot had been alone answerable.  Probability leads us to suspect that Charles had his own reasons for the readiness with which he accepted the governor’s arguments.  Among all the young king’s heavy faults, vindictiveness was not, at that time, in the faintest degree traceable; but, besides that, he had learned, in the intercourse of the last day or two before the fatal encounter, too much of Elliot’s nefarious designs upon Marguerite de St. Martin to suppose that he would with decency punish the conduct of her defender.  Nor need we wonder if a bag of Rose Lempriere’s pistoles lent weight, even to royal scruples.

“Odsfish, Sir George,” he said, finally, “I believe that you must e’en take the pardon of your choleric countryman.”

“Your majesty is ever gracious,” answered Carteret, with his best quarter-deck reverence, “though under your pardon my countrymen are in no respect to be taxed with ready choler.  They are ever courteous and patient.  Only steadfast malice is what they cannot abide.”

“I dare be bold to say that human nature hath its operation amongst them,” answered Charles, with his languid smile.  “Give them what they want and their temper is easy.  But enough of this, Nicholas will draw the pardon, and it shall be signed and sealed anon.  But, further, take order that there be no more duelling.  And now, as touching another of your prisoners, Major Querto?”

“The major was arrested among those present at the duel, in which it hath been shown that he was not a participator,” said Sir George; “but letters have been found in his possession which hinder his release without further inquiry.”

“I can be the major’s warrant,” answered Charles.  “He was a trooper in Goring’s horse, and rose by reason of his wife being chosen to nurse my mother’s last-born infant at Exeter.  When her majesty retired into France, Querto, raised to be a commissioned officer, remained in Exeter.  When that city was taken he followed his wife to France, from whence he is now come, bringing letters from her majesty to me.”

“By your leave, sir,” answered Carteret, “your information lacks completeness.  Querto by no means repaired from Exeter to France.  We have searched his valise, and have taken therefrom a packet of papers, from which it plainly appears that he is a false knave, who hath bubbled both sides.  There is among these papers a letter from Sir John Grenville, to the effect that this fellow was to obtain