“Oons, you will be discovered,” exclaimed Strings, cautiously.
“Marry, I forgot,” whispered Nell, glancing over her shoulder. “You may have to help me out o’ this scrape, Strings, before the night is done.”
“You can count on me, Mistress Nell, with life,” he replied, earnestly.
“I believe you!” said Nell, in her sympathetic, hearty way. Her mind reverted to the old days when Strings and she were at the King’s. “Oh, for just one jig with no petticoats to hinder.”
Nell, despite herself, had fallen into an old-time jig, with much gusto, for her heart was for a frolic always, when Strings, seized her arm in consternation, pointing through the archway.
“The King!” she exclaimed.
She clapped her mask to her eyes and near tumbled through the nearest arras out of the room in her eagerness to escape, dragging her ever-faithful comrade with her.
