Then she came to me and told me what the king had said, not omitting her conclusions based on what he had left unsaid.
Frances and I walked over to the park, where we stood for a time watching the Duke of York and John Churchill playing pall-mall, but the day growing cold, we soon continued our walk over to the Serpentine, where we found Tyrconnel and several other gentlemen riding.

Tyrconnel dismounted and, leading his horse, came to us.

He took no notice of me, but bowed to Frances, saying:-- "I hear it from the king himself that Mistress Jennings has been calling on her friend, George Hamilton, at his lodgings in the Old Swan." "And if so, is it a matter of which you have any right to speak ?" asked Frances, smiling.
"I have a right to withdraw the proposal of marriage I so foolishly made," he retorted.
"Yes, my lord," answered Frances, laughing softly.

"But you need not be angry if I am not.

How fortunate for me that I had not accepted." Then turning to leave and looking back at him: "May we not still be friends, my lord?
You have friends at court who are as bad as I, even if what you say be true.