"Alas, your Grace knows how poor a courtier I am, and how ignorant——"
"Ignorant!" he cried; "yes, you're mighty ignorant, no doubt; but I begin to think you know a pretty face when you see it, Master Simon Dale. Well, I'll not quarrel. Isn't she the most admirable creature alive?"
"I had supposed Lord Carford thought so, sir."
"Oh! And yet Lord Carford did not hurry me off to find the King! But you? What say you to the question?"
"I'm so dazzled, sir, by all the beautiful ladies of His Majesty's Court that I can hardly perceive individual charms."
He laughed again, and pinched my arm, saying,
"We all love what we have not. The Duke of York is in love with truth, the King with chastity, Buckingham with modesty of demeanour, Rochester with seemliness, Arlington with sincerity, and I, Simon—I do fairly worship discretion!"
"Indeed I fear I can boast of little, sir."
"You shall boast of none, and thereby show the more, Simon. Come, there's the King." And he darted on, in equal good humour, as it seemed, with himself and me. Moreover, he lost no time on his errand; for when I reached his side (since they who made way for him afforded me no such civility) he had not only reached the King's chair, but was half-way through his story of my answer to the Duke of York; all chance of stopping him was gone.
"Now I'm damned indeed," thought I; but I set my teeth, and listened with unmoved face.