d　every　morning；　and　to　whom　he　exhibited　the　uttermost　tenderness。　　And　his　tardiness　to　return　becoming　displeasing　to　the　citizens；　and　they　being　aware　of　its　cause；　it　was　whispered　in　taverns　and　cried　in　the　streets；　〃The　king　cannot　go　away　till　my　Lady　Castlemaine　be　ready　to　come　along　with　him；〃　which　truth　was　found　offensive　on　reaching　the　royal　ears。
  Towards　the　end　of　January；　1666；　he　returned　to　Whitehall；　and　a　month　later　the　queen；　who　had　been　detained　by　illness；　joined　him。　　Once　more　the　thread　of　life　was　taken　up　by　the　court　at　the　point　where　it　had　been　broken；　and　woven　into　the　motley　web　of　its　strange　history。　　Unwearied　by　time；　unsatiated　by　familiarity；　the　king　continued　his　intrigue　with　the　imperious　Castlemaine；　and　with　great　longing　likewise　made　love　to　the　beautiful　Stuart。　　But　yet　his　pursuit　of　pleasure　was　not　always　attended　by　happiness；　inasmuch　as　he　found　himself　continually　involved　in　quarrels　with　the　countess；　which　in　turn　covered　him　with　ridicule　in　the　eyes　of　his　courtiers；　and　earned　him　contempt　in　the　opinions　of　his　subjects。
  One　of　these　disturbances；　which　occurred　soon　after　his　return　from　Oxford；　began　at　a　royal　drawing…room；　in　presence　of　the　poor　slighted　queen　and　ladies　of　the　court。　　It　happened　in　the　course　of　conversation　her　majesty　remarked　to　the　countess　she　feared　the　king　had　taken　cold　by　staying　so　late　at　her　lodgings；　to　which　speech　my　Lady　Castlemaine　with　some　show　of　temper　answered　aloud；　〃he　did　not　stay　so　late　abroad　with　her；　for　he　went　betimes　thence；　though　he　do　not　before　one；　two；　or　three　in　the　morning；　but　must　stay　somewhere　else。〃　　The　king；　who　had　entered　the　apartment　whilst　she　was　speaking；　came　up　to　her；　and　displeased　with　the　insinuations　she　expressed；　declared　she　was　a　bold；　impertinent　woman；　and　bade　her　begone　from　the　court；　and　not　return　until　he　sent　for　her。　　Accordingly　she　whisked　from　the　drawing…room；　and　drove　at　once　to　Pall　Mall；　where　she　hired　apartments。
  Her　indignation　at　being　addressed　by　Charles　in　such　a　manner　before　the　court；　was　sufficiently　great　to　beget　strong　desires　for　revenge；　when　she　swore　she　would　be　even　with　him　and　print　his　letters　to　her　for　public　sport。　　In　cooler　moments；　however；　she　abandoned　this　idea；　and　in　course　of　two　or　three　days；　not　hearing　from　his　majesty；　she　despatched　a　message　to　him；　not　entreating　pardon；　but　asking　permission　to　send　for　her　furniture　and　belongings。　　To　this　the　monarch；　who　had　begun　to　miss　her　presence　and　long　for　her　return；　replied　she　must　first　come　and　view　them；　and　then　impatient　for　reconciliation；　he　sought　her；　and　they　became　friends　once　more。　　And　by　way　of　sealing　the　bond　of　pacification；　the　king　soon　after　agreed　to　pay　her　debts；　amounting　to　the　sum　of　thirty　thousand　pounds；　which　had　been　largely　incurred　by　presents　bestowed　by　her　upon　her　lovers。
  His　majesty　was　not　only　rendered　miserable　by　the　constant　caprices　and　violent　temper　of　the　countess；　but　likewise　by　the　virtue　and　coldness　Miss　Stuart　betrayed　since　her　return　from　Oxford。　　The　monarch　was　sorely　troubled　to　account　for　her　bearing；　and　attributing　it　to　jealousy；　sought　to　soothe　her　supposed　uneasiness　by　increasing　his　chivalrous　attentions。　　Her　change　of　behaviour；　however；　proceeded　from　another　cause。　　The　fair　Stuart；　though　childlike　in　manner；　was　shrewd　at　heart；　and　was　moreover　guided　invariably　by　her　mother；　a　lady　who　reaped　wisdom　from　familiarity　with　courts。　　Therefore　the　maid　of　honour；　seeing　she　had　given　the　world　occasion　to　think　she　had　lost　her　virtue；　declared　she　was　ready　to　〃marry　any　gentleman　of　fifteen　hundred　a　year　that　would　have　her　in　honour。〃
  This　determination　she　was　obliged　to　keep…secret　from　the　king；　lest　his　anger　should　fall　upon　such　as　sought　her；　and　so　interfere　with　her　matrimonial　prospects。　　Now　with　such　intentions　in　her　mind　she　pondered　well　on　an　event　which　had　happened　to　her；　such　as　no　woman　who　has　had　like　experience　ever　forgets；　namely；　that　amongst　the　many　who　professed　to　love　her；　one　had　proposed　to　marry　her。　　This　was　Charles　Stuart；　fourth　Duke　of　Richmond；　a　man　possessed　of　neither　physical　gifts　nor　mental　abilities；　who　was；　moreover；　a　widower；　and　a　sot。
  However；　the　position　which　her　union　with　him　would　ensure　was　all　she　could　desire；　and　he　renewing　his　suit　at　this　time；　she　consequently　consented　to　marry　him。　　Now　though　it　was　probable　she　could　keep　her　design　from　knowledge　of　her　royal　lover；　it　was　scarcely　possible　she　could　hide　it　from　observation　of　his　mistress。　　And　the　latter；　knowing　the　extent　to　which　fair　Frances　Stuart　shared　his　majesty's　heart；　and　being　likewise　aware　of　the　coldness　with　which　his　protestations　were　by　her　received；　scorned　the　king　and　detested　the　maid。　　Lady　Castlemaine　therefore　resolved　to　use　her　knowledge　of　Miss　Stuart's　contemplated　marriage；　for　purpose　of　enraging　the　jealousy　of　the　one；　and　destroying　the　influence　of　the　other。　In　order　to　accomplish　such　desirable　ends　she　quietly　awaited　her　opportunity。　　This　came　in　due　time。
  It　happened　one　evening　when　his　majesty　had　been　visiting　Frances　Stuart　in　her　apartments；　and　had　returned　to　his　own　in　a　condition　of　ill…humour　and　disappointment；　the　countess；　who　had　been　some　days　out　of　favour；　suddenly　presented　herself　before　him；　and　in　a　bantering　tone；　accompanied　by　ironical　smiles；　addressed　him。
  〃I　hope；〃　said　she；　〃I　may　be　allowed　to　pay　you　my　homage；　although　the　angelic　Stuart　has　forbidden　you　to　see　me　at　my　own　house。　　I　will　not　make　use　of　reproaches　and　expostulations　which　would　disgrace　myself；　still　less　will　I　endeavour　to　excuse　frailties　which　nothing　can　justify；　since　your　constancy　for　me　deprives　me　of　all　defence；　considering　I　am　the　only　person　you　have　honoured　with　your　tenderness；　who　has　made　herself　unworthy　of　it　by　ill…conduct。　　I　come　now；　therefore；　with　no　other　intent　than　to　comfort　and　condole　with　you　upon　the　affliction　and　grief　into　which　the　coldness　or　new…fashioned　chastity　of　the　inhuman　Stuart　has　reduced　your　majesty。〃
  Having　delivered　herself　of　this　speech　she　laughed　loud　and　heartily；　as　if　vastly　amused　at　the　tenour　of　her　words；　and　then　before　the　impatient　monarch　had　time　to　reply；　continued　in　the　same　tone；　with　quickening　breath　and　flashing　eyes；　〃Be　not　offended　that　I　take　the　liberty　of　laughing　at　the　gross　manner　in　which　you　are　imposed　upon；　I　cannot　bear　to　see　that　such　particular　affection　should　make　you　the　jest　of　your　own　court；　and　that　you　should　be　ridiculed　with　such　impunity。　　I　know　that　the　affected　Stuart　has　sent　you　away　under　pretence　of　some　indisposition；　or　perhaps　some　scruple　of　conscience；　and　I　come　to　acquaint　you　that　the　Duke　of　Richmond　will　soon　be　with　her；　if　he　is　not　there　already。　　I　do　not　desire　you　to　believe　what　I　say；　since　it　might　be　suggested　either　through　resentment　or　envy。　　Only　follow　me　to　her　apartment；　either　that；　no　longer　trusting　calumny　and　malice　you　may　honour　her　with　a　just　preference；　if　I　accuse　her　falsely；　or；　if　my　information　be　true；　you　may　no　longer　be　the　dupe　of　a　pretended　prude；　who　makes　you　act　so　unbecoming　and　ridiculous　a　part。〃
  The　king；　overwhelmed　with　astonishment；　was　irresolute　in　action；　but　Lady　Castlemaine；　determined　on　not　being　deprived　of　her　anticipated　triumph；　took　him　by　the　hand　and　forcibly　pulled　him　towards　Miss　Stuart's　apartments。　　The　maid　of　honour's　servants；　surprised　at　his　majesty's　return；　were　unable　to　warn　their　mistress　without　his　knowledge；　whilst　one　of　them；　in　pay　of　the　countess；　found　means　of　secretly　intimating　to　her　that　the　Duke　of　Richmond　was　already　in　Miss　Stuart's　chamber。　　Lady　Castlemaine；　having　with　an　air　of　exultation　led　the　king　down　the　gallery　from　his　apartments　to　the　threshold　of　Miss　Stuart's　door；　made　him　a　low　courtesy　savouring　more　of　irony　than　homage；　bade　him　good…night；　and　with　a　subtle　smile　promptly　retired。
  The　scene　which　followed　is　best　painted　by　Hamilton's　pen。　　〃It　was　near　midnight；　the　king　on　his　way　met　the　chambermaids；　who　respectfully　opposed　his　entrance；　and；　in　a　very　low　voice；　whispered　his　majesty　that　Miss　Stuart　had　been　very　ill　since　he　left　her；　but　that　being　gone　to　bed；　she　was；　God　be　thanked；　in　a　very　fine　sleep。　　'That　I　must　see；'　said　the　king；　pushing　her　back；　who　had　posted　herself　in　his　way。　　He　found　Miss　Stuart　in　bed；　indeed；　but　far　from　being　asleep；　the　Duke　of　Richmond　was　seated　at　her　pillow；　and　in　all　probability　was　less　inclined　to　sleep　than　herself。　　The　perplexity　of　the　one　party；　and　the　rage　of　the　other；　were　such　as　may　easily　be　imagined　upon　such　a　surprise。　　The　king；　who　of　all　men　was　one　of　the　most　mild　and　gentle；　testified　his　resentment　to　the　Duke　of　Richmond　in　such　terms　as　he　had　never　before　used。　　The　duke　was　speechless　and　almost　petrified；　he　saw　his　master　and　his　king　justly　irritated。　　The　first　transports　which　rage　inspires　on　such　occasions　are　dangerous。　　Miss　Stuart's　window　was　very　convenient　for　a　sudden　revenge；　the　Thames　flowing　close　beneath　it；　he　cast　his　eyes　upon　it；　and　seeing　those　of　the