I never dared to drive, scarcely ever to walk out,
without escort enough to prevent any fresh attempt at abduction; and
even my poor Gaspard was in disgrace, because he was not courtier
enough to bear in silence taunts about his mother.
I had only one thing to look forward to, and that was the return of
my brother. The new King of England had arrived, and we trusted that
he would appear with him; but alas! no, he was detained on the King's
business in Jersey, and could not come.
Meantime Annora kept her own counsel, and though she was my only
supporter, except of course of Ommaneys, in my resistance, the want
of confidence made a certain separation between us. I do not think
she had any secret communication with Clement Darpent--they were too
honourable for that--but she drew more to old Lady Ommaney than to me
during this time.
Reports began to circulate that the Prince's insolence had gone too
far, and that the Cardinal had been holding secret conferences with
the Coadjutor, to see whether his help and that of Paris could be
relied on for the overthrow of the Prince. I remember that Annora
was in high spirits, and declared that now was the time for honest
men if they only knew how to profit by it.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE LION AND THE MOUSE
We were greatly amazed when late one January evening Cecile rushed
into my room like one distracted, crying:
'The monsters, they have arrested him!'
We knew there was only on of the nobler sex in the eyes of my poor
Cecile, and my first question was:
'What has he done?' expecting to hear that he had been fighting a
duel, or committing some folly.
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