Remembering that he had been carried away as an infant in arms, Celia wondered what he knew about it.
"I hope you are one of my friends?" was the next question.
Celia looked up, blushed, and looked down again. "I do not know, Sir," she said.
"I compliment you on your honesty," said he. "'Tis a rare quality."
Celia was beginning to think it was.
"I beg your pardon, Sir," she replied, timidly; "I was brought up to think otherwise."
"Let us hope to convert you," he answered. "I assure you that your friends can hope for no great degree of prosperity till they become mine;[[30]] and I am not without hopes of changing all England on that question. Do you think it impossible?"
"I almost do, Sir," said Celia, smiling, and playing with her fan a little nervously.
"We shall see who is right," added the King, "Ingram, have you seen Colville lately?"
"And I assure your Majesty," said Lady Ingram rising, "that I shall make the fullest inquiries about it, and direct Sophie to do so."