By good Luck for him, the Room where I lay was low, and next the Road, so that he came and rapp'd with his Fingers at one of my Windows. I presently imagin'd that his Affairs had taken a wrong Turn, got up in a Trice, and had no sooner open'd the Window, but he bolted in like a hunted Hare, pull'd off his Clothes, and went into Bed, where he gave me a full and true Account of his nocturnal Adventures. You see now, said I, dear Boy, how Love and Fortune trifle with you. They seldom agree, and if ever, 'tis in order to deceive us the more terribly in the After-Game. Believe me, you are in a very dangerous way, and if you don't abandon it, as I have already advis'd you, it will assuredly prove your Ruine. Let me hear no more of it, said he, she is worth all my Trouble; and provided I can but once enjoy her, I fear not to die. What vexes me most of all is, that I know not how to gratify her. She ask'd me for a Watch; whereas I have not one to give her, and it will take me up at least a Week to finish that we have in hand. If she wants you to give her a Watch, said I, 'tis a plain Sign that her Love is self-interested, and tho' it were not so, how do you propose she should make use of it? The King who will know it presently, will also be satisfy'd where she had it, upon which the Mystery will break out, and then farewel the two Lovers. You are in the right, upon my Word, said my Friend, I had not that Foresight; but in short, we must make an end of it, and by that time, I warrant we shall find some Expedient or other to bring us off; for Love is too ingenious to lurch us when we are in so fair a way.
Mean time we heard five or six great Strokes upon the Bason of our Clock which were given so fast one after another, that they made us start; we could not imagine the Meaning of it; not considering that we our selves had advis'd the King to make use of this Method, in Imitation of the Europeans, to raise an Alarm, and give the Inhabitants of the Canton Notice, when any thing happen'd to the Disadvantage of the Quarter, that they might all flock together to the Place, and endeavour to remedy it. A Man running by just after, and calling out Fire, as loud as ever he could, deliver'd us from that Fright, and threw us into another. Not knowing where it was, we leap'd to the Bed's-feet and put on each a dirty Gown, which we girt close round our Bodies, with a Design to lend a Helping-hand to quench it, and going out, we presently saw that Queen Lidola's House was in Flames. Ladders were brought from all Parts, and there was such Plenty of Water at hand, that by the Force of it the Fire was hindered from spreading to the neighbouring Apartments, so that the Damage was not very considerable. As it began in the Closet where La Foret was conceal'd, we did not doubt but the Waiting-woman, when she was looking for him, let some Spark fall into the Tent-Bed, or some other Moveable or combustible Matter, which had been the Cause of the Fire. Mean time the King retir'd as soon as a Domestic brought him the News. We went immediately to condole with him, but he only laugh'd, and told us, that neither the Fright nor the Damage deserv'd our Compliment, especially with regard to a Man of his natural Temper, whom nothing could put out of Humour. The Queen was no sooner recover'd of her Fright, on account of this sad Fire, but she took Pen in Hand and drew up a second Letter, in Substance almost as follows.
To La Foret.
My Chamber-maid has already been abroad. I know where you are retired, but I give a shrewd guess which way you made your Escape. The Conjuncture was dangerous, and altogether as alarming to me as to you, insomuch that the Fire which afterwards broke out in my Closet, by the Imprudence of my People, was nothing to it, in comparison. But let not this discourage you, we shall be more happy another time. Be constant and tranquil. I will give you notice when 'tis a proper Season, and take such Precautions that at our next Interview, I hope for an Opportunity of giving you a convincing Testimony, that I am truly your Friend.
LIDOLA.
It was no difficult Matter for the Messenger of Love to Hide this Billet into the Hands of the Lover, who seldom fail'd of walking by her Mistress's Door every Morning, Noon, and Night, so that she might meet and talk with him whenever she pleas'd, without any Notice taken of her. Mean time, La Foret seriously went to work upon her Watch, and labour'd so hard at it, that it was ready by the fifth Day. It was extremely pretty; the Graving of the Box was beautiful, nor was the Case inferior to the Workmanship within. The Evening was hardly shut in, but he went out with his Machine in his Pocket, and finding the young Woman of whom he was in quest, he put it into her Hand, and desir'd her to present it for him to the Queen, to whose Favour he always recommended himself. If ever Woman, discover'd her Joy, Lidola did at the Sight of this pretty Watch. We were told that she kiss'd it a thousand times, and bless'd herself for having succeeded so well in her Intrigue.
One would have thought that this fine Pledge of La Foret's Love would have hasten'd the Happiness he expected for his Reward, but in truth, he heard no more of it. The Waiting-maid who formerly was so eager to find him out, was as watchful afterwards to avoid him. This made him very uneasy; but as he had no room to suspect the Lady, he imagin'd that the young Woman was disgusted to find her Mistress so highly gratify'd, and herself unrewarded in companion, of the Pains she had taken. In short, not long after, when he scarce thought any thing of it, the young Woman to his great Surprize accosted him at a Place where there was no Witness, and after having dropp'd a Sigh, you are wretchedly deceived, said she, I really pity you, and have the utmost Abhorrence of my Mistress's unjust Proceeding. All that she has done hitherto was only to coax you out of a Watch, and now she has it, she has order'd me to tell you, that she finds it too difficult and dangerous for her to receive you at her Apartments any more, that she is troubled for it to the last Degree, that her Grief is even inexpressible, that it will certainly break her Heart, and a great deal more of such Cant which is all meer Hypocrisy.
The King, continued she, was with us Yesterday, and hearing the Beat of the Watch, immediately ask'd what it was. Being under a Necessity of telling him, he seem'd surpriz'd at it, and would needs know how Madam came by that Jewel. The ungrateful Creature, as she herself confess'd to me, was just going to tell him, that you had sent it to her with a Design to make use of it as a Bribe to debauch her, and that you had actually made an Attempt to that end; but for fear of involving herself in a Scrape, wherein perhaps she would have run as great a Risque as you, or at least have been in Danger of restoring the Watch, she told him that I had found it, and that she had it from me. Upon this, I was call'd, and question'd as to the Truth of it. I perceiv'd by her tipping the Wink on me at every Word, that she was in a Plunge, and that there was a Necessity for my confirming every thing she had said. Very well, if it be so, said the King, I know whose it is, and Justice demands the Restitution of it to the Right Owner. I would have done so before, said the Queen, for as soon as my Maid found it, I imagin'd it belong'd to those Foreigners who made yours, and I sent it back to them that Instant, but when my Servant told from whom she came, they protested that they would never take it again, and that their Design was to make one for the Empress, and for all the other Queens. Thus, said the Chambermaid, have I told you what Turn the Matter has taken. Possibly you expect some Reward for your Present, but I don't think you will have any as long as you live. 'Tis enough, said La Foret, I thank you my Dear; undoubtedly I shall remember your Hint, and will take my Measures accordingly.
It being then past Supper-time, La Foret made haste to his Chamber, and went to Bed without saying a Word. You are in the Dumps, Friend, said I, what ails you? Don't Affairs go to your Mind? No verily, they don't, said he, for I heard that just now, which I should never have thought of; and thereupon he gave me the Relation of every Thing that the Maid had told him. Alas! said I, did nor I tell you as much before? However, you are come off better than I thought you would. But after all, consider the Consequences of this Affair. You are hereby brought under a Necessity of making Watches with all Speed for all the King's Wives on Pain of incurring their Displeasure, and perhaps too the Monarch's Hatred, who if you should fail in that Point, might well mistrust that you gave that Watch with a Design to insinuate yourself into the Affections of the most beautiful of all his Wives, which Suspicion you know would be corroborated upon the least Noise of your having been seen Abroad at an unseasonable Hour, either in the Water, or going in at our Window, if any Body has ever so little Hint of it. The D—-l take all Women then, said he in a Passion, I'll never trust another be she of what Quality she will. Fair and softly, said I, your being in a Rage won't help the Matter. I plainly see what is to be done. That we may have at least some Respite, we must desire the King to let us go and spend the Summer at our former Village, and then we will consider what we have to do.
Next Day the King came as usual to see what we were about, and banter'd us on the Affair of the Watch. La Foret confirmed every Tittle that the Chamber-maid had said about it, and then added, that it being hot Weather, and not so proper for working as the Winter Season, he desir'd that his Majesty would consent that we might go and spend some Months in our old Village. With all my Heart, said the King, and after having order'd us a hundred Pieces, he wish'd us a happy Journey. We went soon after to take our Leaves of the Court, and the Cook in particular being our very good Friend, we thought it our Duty to crack a Bottle with him. The Moment that we told him of our Resolution, the Man seem'd Thunder struck, which we both mistook for the Effect of his Friendship and his Concern to part with us for so long a Time, but when he recover'd his Speech, he said to our very great Surprize, are you really going away, Gentlemen, do you consider well what you are doing? Don't you know what People say of you? God forbid that I should suspect you of the least foul Action. You never gave me any Occasion for it, nor any one else that I know of; but every Body does not know you so well as I do. If you will be rul'd by me, you ought to justify yourselves before you change your Quarters, otherwise you'll run the Risque of being accus'd as Incendiaries; for they who have spread the Report will triumph in your Absence; and who knows but such as doubt of it at this present will then give Credit to it? How! Incendiaries! said I, are we charg'd with a Design of laying the Place in Ashes before we go away? No, reply'd he, but they give out, that La Foret is the Man who set Fire to Queen Lidola's House. We are very much oblig'd to you, said I, for your good Caution, and we'll go this Moment and inquire into the Cause of so groundless a Scandal, of which I don't think it will be very difficult to clear ourselves. As soon as we were gone out, I'll lay a Wager, said I to my Comrade, that you were seen returning to your Lodging at a late Hour the very Night the Fire happen'd, and that some ill-designing Person has drawn this Conclusion from it to your Disadvantage. Let us go to the King, said I, and open the Matter to him, when we shall presently see what he will say of it.