She has done nothing. She is called only to be
questioned concerning a crime now under investigation." Then hedging
quickly, "That is, I suppose such is the purpose of the subpoena."
The king's manner and his evident knowledge of what was going on
convinced me that Hamilton was the subject of inquiry, and I greatly
feared an effort was being made to charge him with Roger Wentworth's
death or to arraign him because of his threats against the king's life.
I was about to leave the king when he stopped me, saying "Please go to my
Lady Castlemain's lodging over Holbein's Gate and ask her to go with us
down to London. And Clyde, have my barge at the Bowling Green stairs at
one o'clock so that we may take our leisure going down the river and
still reach the law courts on time. Our punctuality will flatter the city
folk."
At one o'clock, according to instructions, I went to the royal barge
waiting at Bowling Green stairs, where presently came the king, the
duchess with one of her ladies, Frances, my Lord Clarendon, and my Lady
Castlemain, the last named bearing in her arms a young baby. In a barge
which was to follow us were several gentlemen of the court and a
halfscore of the king's guardsmen. Evidently the occasion was to be in
the nature of a frolic; poor Frances to furnish the entertainment.
On thinking it all over, I was convinced that the investigation, whatever
it should turn out to be, had been instigated by the king.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155