So Mr. Westly came bustling down to the inn, and accosting the landlady
said: "Why, how now, Margaret! you are a Maid of Honour now."
"What mean you by that, Mr. Parson?" said the landlady.
"Why, Charles Stewart lay last night at your house, and kissed you at
his departure; so that now you can't be but a Maid of Honour!"
Margaret was rather vexed at this, and replied rather hastily, "If I
thought it was the King, I should think the better of my lips all the
days of my life; and so you, Mr. Parson, get out of my house!"
Westly and the smith then went to a magistrate, but he did not believe
their story and refused to take any action. Meantime the ostler had
taken the information to Captain Macey at Lyme Regis, and he started off
in pursuit of Charles; but before he reached Bridport Charles had
escaped. The inn at Charmouth many years afterwards had been converted
into a private house, but was still shown to visitors and described as
the house "where King Charles the Second slept on the night of September
22nd, 1652, after his flight from the Battle of Worcester," and the
large chimney containing a hiding-place was also to be seen there.
[Illustration: OMBERSLEY VILLAGE: "THE KING'S ARMS," WHERE CHARLES II
RESTED DURING HIS FLIGHT AFTER THE BATTLE OF WORCESTER, 1652.
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