"The guard tells me that he informed you of my orders and that you insisted on passing." M.de Perrencourt felt that his turn was come; he stood there smiling.

I found nothing to say; if I repeated my fiction of a message, the French gentleman, justly enraged, would betray me.
"M.

de Perrencourt seemed lonely, sir," I answered at last.
"A little loneliness hurts no man," said the King.

He took out his tablets and began to write.

When he was done, he gave me the message, adding, "Read it." I read, "Mr Simon Dale will remain under arrest in his own apartment for twenty-four hours, and will not leave it except by the express command of the King." I made a wry face.
"If the Duke of Monmouth wants me----" I began.
"He'll have to do without you, Mr Dale," interrupted the King.