“Yes, yes, I know,” I answered, and then I told her briefly of the king’s orders.

“You to bring me the papers!” she exclaimed, laughing softly.

“Yes,” I answered.  “It completes the jest, if it prove to be one.  But tell me, what do you propose to do when you go to the king’s closet?”

“You see it was this way,” she began, sitting down and smoothing out her skirts; “I so arranged it that I met his Majesty soon after I saw you pass with your hat in your hand.  He was ready enough to take me for a walk in the garden, and when he fell under the influence of the sun and the flowers, he began, as usual, to protest his love.  I gave him full rein,—­full rein, Baron Ned,—­and after he had talked and protested a great deal, I told him that he might prove his regard for me if he would.  He asked me in what manner, and said that he would do whatever I asked.

“‘It is this, your Majesty,’ I answered hesitatingly.  ’By accident I met the Abbe du Boise at Lilly’s house yesterday.  It seems he had heard of the kind friendship your Majesty has shown me, and doubtless hoping to use me, offered me ten thousand pounds if I succeeded in inducing your Majesty to accept the French king’s offer for the city of Dunkirk.  Ever since my interview with him, I have been trying to see your Majesty, hoping that you might find the information useful, and desiring your Majesty to know that I was to receive the money in case you accepted, else I might seem false to my king.’”

I laughed and said:  “I knew you would be able to wheedle him.  A little woman with a big motive is like faith, in that she can move mountains.”

“Yes, yes, it is easy enough,” she answered.  “He took my hand, and I permitted him to hold it for a moment, then withdrew it, you know, as though impelled by modesty.  After duly hanging my head and casting down my eyes in a very spasm of shyness, I told the king that I hoped he would accept the French king’s offer, and reminded him that it might avert the terrible consequences of war, in addition to putting ten thousand pounds in my poor empty little purse.  He said he would put the ten thousand there for me, but I refused, saying that I had never before made a request of him, and that if he did not see fit to grant this, I should never make another, but should leave Whitehall at once.”

“Ah! the little woman with a big motive pouts if the mountain moves too slowly.  I should like to have heard you talking to him,” I said.

“And perhaps you would have spoiled it all,” she answered.  “We walked down the path for perhaps three or four minutes, but at length the king spoke, stammeringly, and said that if I would bring the treaty to his closet this evening at nine o’clock, he would sign it.”

“The dog!” I exclaimed.

“After a long pause, I answered hesitatingly, telling him that I could not accede to his request, and that I withdrew my petition, craving permission to leave Whitehall to-morrow.  Thereupon he fell into an ecstasy of entreaty, and when we parted he was very happy, for I had promised to take the documents to him at nine o’clock.  He said I was to come to the privy stairs leading from the river to his closet and go up to him for his signature and seal, when he would execute the treaty immediately and send it by a trusted messenger to the Abbe du Boise.”