surprised to learn, two or three days after our adventure, that it was
being talked about by the court.

One evening at the queen's ball, my Lady Castlemain, a very cat of a
woman, came up to a group consisting of the king, the duchess, Frances,
myself, and three or four others who were standing near the king's chair.
Elbowing her way to the king, near whom Frances was standing, Lady
Castlemain said:--

"Ah, la Belle Jennings, tell us of your adventure Sunday night!"

"Of what adventure, la Belle Castlemain?" asked Frances, smiling sweetly.

"Why, when you were kidnapped and carried to a country house for the
night," returned Castlemain, with a vindictive gleam in her eyes and an
angry toss of her head.

"I kidnapped Sunday night?" asked Frances, in well-feigned surprise. "No
such romantic adventure has befallen me."

"Yes, kidnapped Sunday night," returned Castlemain, showing her teeth.
"Of course you were kidnapped! I'm sure nothing would induce so modest a
lady as the fair Jennings to go of her own free will. She would insist on
being taken by force. Ha! ha! Force!"

She laughed as though speaking in jest, but her real intent was plain to
every one that heard her. Frances, too, laughed so merrily that one might
have supposed she considered it all a joke, and her acting was far better
than Castlemain's.