I hastened to Frances and told her to station herself where the king could see her before he went to his closet, and perhaps speak to her.

I stood near by, and when the king entered I noticed him start on seeing Frances.

When he came up to us, she smiled and made so deep a courtesy that one would have thought she was overjoyed to see him.
The king stopped before us for a moment, saying, "We have had a terrible storm, baron." "Indeed we have, your Majesty," I answered, bowing, "though I have not so much as thrust my head out-of-doors save to go down to Sir Richard's yesterday evening to fetch Mistress Jennings home." "Did she come--I mean, would she face the storm ?" asked the king.
"No, no," answered Frances, laughing.

"Why face the storm to return to Whitehall when the king was away?
I remained with my father, and was so ill that a physician was called at seven o'clock." "I hope you are well again," said the king.
"Not entirely.

But now I shall be," she answered, laughing.
"You mean now that I am at home ?" asked the king, shaking his head doubtfully.
"Yes, your Majesty." "If your heart were as kind as your tongue, I should be a much happier man than I am." His Majesty sighed as he turned away, and the expression on his face was as an open book to me, knowing as I did that he had just failed in perpetrating an act of villainy which would have hanged any other man in England.
One of the king's greatest misfortunes was his mouth.