Ricardo then, after a few words of courtesy on both parts, picked up his useless carpet, took his farewell of the royal party, and, with Jaqueline still hidden under his collar, returned at full speed, but with a heavy heart, to Pantouflia, where the palace gong was just sounding for luncheon.
Ricardo never interfered in foreign affairs again, but his ring proved very useful to Prince Charles, as you may have read in history.
CHAPTER VI.
Ricardo’s Repentance.
The queen, as it happened fortunately, was lunching with one of the ladies of her Court. Ricardo did not come down to luncheon, and Jaqueline ate hers alone; and very mournful she felt. The prince had certainly not come well out of the adventure. He had failed (as all attempts to restore the Stuarts
always did); he had been wounded, though he had never received a scratch in any of his earlier exploits; and if his honour was safe, and his good intentions fully understood, that was chiefly due to Jaqueline, and to the generosity of King James and Prince Charles.
“I wonder what he’s doing?” she said to herself, and at last she went up and knocked at Ricardo’s door.
“Go away,” he said; “I don’t want to see anybody. Who is it?”
“It’s only me—Jaqueline.”
