“What is it, nephew?  We all thank you in advance.”

A cold bath is better taken quickly, so I plunged in.

“The Duchess of York has announced her intention to choose four maids of honor by personal inspection.  Aside from the fact that they must be of good family, they will be taken solely on account of their beauty, the most beautiful to win.”

Frances dropped her knife and fork and sprang to her feet, exclaiming:—­

“I’m going to see the duchess!  Thank you, cousin Ned!  I’ll be a maid of honor!”

“Of course—­beauty!” observed Sarah, resuming her supper with a dry laugh.

“Your sister can win on the terms offered, if anyone can,” said I, turning sharply on Sarah.

“I am sure of it,” returned Sarah.  “I laughed only because she is so sure.”

Frances then turned to her sister, not reproachfully but earnestly:  “Sure?” she exclaimed.  “Of course I am sure.  I know myself.  You have a far better mind than mine, but I have—­well, I know what I have.  I don’t believe I am vain, but I know, sister, that you and I must rebuild the fortunes of our house, or worse will come to us than we have ever known.  You are sure to do your part because you have intellect—­brains. You know you have.  Is it any less a matter of vanity for you to know yourself than it is for me to know myself?  I know what I have, and I intend to use it.”

Sarah assented by the monosyllable, “Right!” while Frances ran to the head of the table, knelt by her father’s chair, and said:—­

“It is all for dear old father’s sake.”

Sir Richard brought his daughter’s head to his shoulder, affectionately smoothed her hair for a moment, and spoke with quavering earnestness:—­

“It is not to be thought of one moment.  Whitehall is a nest of infamy, and the king, I am told, is the worst man in it.  I gave all I had to his martyred father, and now the son does not even so much as refuse to make restitution.  He simply gives lying promises and leaves me to starve.  I am surprised, nephew, that you come to us with this proposition.”

“In that case, dear uncle, it shall be dropped at once,” said I, expecting, however, to take it up at another time.

Frances was about to insist, but a glance from Sarah stopped her, and she remained silent.  I knew it would require a great deal of sound argument to bring Sir Richard to our way of thinking, but I was sure that Sarah could soften him and that, at the right time, I could finish our helpless antagonist.  Meantime the love affair of Frances, if there was one, should be looked into, if Frances did not object too seriously.  In truth, I was a very busy man, solely with the affairs of other people.

Being so engaged in telling of other people’s affairs, I have not had time to mention the fact that I had a love affair of my own, that is, if I may call that a love affair which involved only one person—­myself.  She who I hoped would one day be the party of the second part was Mary Hamilton, sister to Count Anthony and George Hamilton, mention of whom was made at the outset of this history.