She was taken thither at ten years
old, and was not yet nineteen; and though I had once or twice played
with her before my marriage, she could not be expected to remember
me. So the interview was very stiff at first, in spite of her kind
inquiries for my brother, whom she said the King loved and valued
greatly. I wondered whether it could have been she who had provided
for his needs, and threw out a hint to see if so it were, but she
evidently did not understand me, and our visit soon ended.
Our way of life at the Hague was soon formed. Eustace was our first
thought and care, and we did whatever we thought best for his health.
I would fain have taken him back to Paris with us, but autumn was
setting in, and he was not in a state to be moved, being only able to
walk from one room to the other, and I could hardly hope that he
would gain strength before the winter set in, since a sea voyage
would be necessary, as we could not pass through the Spanish
Netherlands that lay between us and France. Besides, while the King
was in Scotland, he always entertained the hope of a summons to
England. Other exiles were waiting in the same manner as ourselves,
and from time to time we saw something of them. The gentlemen would
come and sit with my brother, and tell him of the news, and we
exchanged visits with the ladies, whom Annora recognised at the room
where an English minister held their service; but they were a much
graver and quieter set of exiles than those we had known at Paris.
Pages:
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341