It was Buckingham, greatly daring, who slyly made himself that
party's mouthpiece. The suggestion startled Charles, voicing, as
perhaps it did, the temptation by which he was secretly assailed.
He looked at Buckingham, frowning.
"I verily believe you are the wickedest dog in England."
The impudent gallant made a leg. "For a subject, sire, I believe
I am."
Charles--with whom the amusing word seems ever to have been more
compelling than the serious--laughed his soft, mellow laugh. Then
he sighed, and the frown of thought returned.
"It would be a wicked thing to make a poor lady miserable only
because she is my wife, and has no children by me, which is no
fault of hers."
He was a thoroughly bad husband, but his indolent good-nature
shrank from purchasing his desires at the price of so much
ignominy to the Queen. Before that could come to pass it would be
necessary to give the screw of temptation another turn or two.
And it was Miss Stewart herself who--in all innocence--supplied
what was required in that direction. Driven to bay by the
importunities of Charles, she announced at last that it was her
intention to retire from Court, so as to preserve herself from
the temptations by which she was beset, and to determine the
uneasiness which, through no fault of her own, her presence was
occasioning the Queen; and she announced further, that, so
desperate had she been rendered that she would marry any
gentleman of fifteen hundred pounds a year who would have her in
honour.
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