"Indeed, it must be the Bishop of Canterbury's lady," suggested his
Majesty.
"Surely!" exclaimed Nell, with a merry laugh. "But guess again."
When the king had exhausted his three guesses, she said triumphantly, "My
new friend's name is Frances Jennings."
"Ah, indeed!" exclaimed the king. "She will have nothing to say to my
friends, Lady Castlemain and others, and I supposed she would be too nice
and proper to choose you for her friend."
"No, no," returned Nelly. "She is my first friend among the court ladies.
We have had several rare adventures together, and don't you know, I have
discovered that she is in love."
"With whom?" demanded the king.
"With your friend and mine, George Hamilton," returned Nelly.
"Ah, well, he is in France, and we shall see that he remains there," said
the king.
"No, he is not in France. He is in London," said Nelly. "I saw him at the
Old Swan just before you left for Sheerness, nearly two months ago."
"Odds fish!" swore his Majesty. "We'll find a mission for him abroad."
"You'll have to find him first," said Nelly. "I've been down to the Old
Swan to see him, but the girl there tells me he left the tavern long ago,
and I suspect he is at his brother's house near St. Albans. But I'll tell
you further."
Then she told the king what Frances had said about a mysterious man
whom Nelly asserted Frances both hated and loved. She told him also
that Frances had recognized one of the highwaymen who had robbed Roger
Wentworth, and closed her narrative with an account of my cousin's
refusal to recognize Hamilton and her eagerness to explain to him after
the fight.
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