Of course the king soon declared his undying love for her, and she answered, laughing:—­

“If your Majesty will swear by your grandmother’s great toe that you have never before spoken to a woman in this fashion, I’ll listen and believe, but failing the oath, you must pardon me if I laugh.”

“I hope you would not laugh at your king?” he asked.

“Ay, at the Pope,” she retorted, “if I found him amusing.”

“But if I swear by the sacred relic you name, never again so long as I live to speak in this fashion to any other woman, may I proceed?” returned the king.

“I would not be a party to an oath whereby my king would be forsworn,” she answered.

To which the king replied:  “I shall say what I please to my most devoted subject.  Am I not the king?”

“I am content that you say what you please if you grant me the same privilege,” answered Frances.

The king laughed and said he would gladly grant the privilege in private, but that in public he had a “damnable dignity” to uphold.

* * * * *

After the dancing was over for the evening, the king offered Frances a purse of gold to be used at the card-table, but she declined, and as nearly every one else went to the tables, the duchess granted leave to Frances, Mary, and myself to depart.

Mary and I went with Frances to her parlor adjoining her bedroom, where we remained for an hour or more talking over the events of the night.  Mary had heard one in the ballroom say this and another say that.  Frances had heard all sorts of remarks, some of them kind, others spiteful.  I had heard nothing but praise of my cousin, and all that we had heard was discussed excitedly and commented on earnestly or laughingly, as the case might be.

Frances was in high spirits till by an unlucky chance Mary spoke of her brother George, of whose acquaintance with Frances she knew nothing, and instantly my cousin’s eyes began to fill.  I saw that the tears would come, despite all her efforts, if something were not done to stay them.  Therefore I spoke of her father’s joy when he should hear of her triumph, and my remark furnished an excuse for her weeping.  In the course of an hour Mary and I left Frances and went to the card-tables, where we found Mary’s mother, who at that time, happening to be winner in a large sum, was ready to quit the game, so we all walked home across the park with linkboys.

* * * * *

During the following month or two Hamilton was abroad, neither I nor any one else at court so far as I knew having heard from him.  After a time the rumors connecting his name with Roger’s death reached my ears, but I paid no heed to them, believing them to have been made of whole cloth, for I did not know that he had been present when the crime was committed.  But one day my cousin’s actions and words set me thinking.