At the upper end of the apartment was a brilliant group of ladies, with the king's beautiful favorite in their midst, gossiping with knots of gentlemen.

The king himself stood in the recess of a window, with his brother, the Duke of York, the Earl of Rochester, and Sir Norman Kingsley, and was laughing and relating animatedly to the two peers the whole story.

Leoline noticed this, and noticed, too, that all wore traveling dresses--most of the ladies, indeed, being attired in riding-habits.
The king himself advanced to her rescue, and drawing her arm within his, he led her up and presented her to the fair Mistress Stuart, who received her with smiling graciousness though Leoline, all unused to court ways, and aware of the lovely lady's questionable position, returned it almost with cold hauteur.

Charles being in an unusually gracious mood, only smiled as he noticed it, and introduced her next to his brother of York, and her former short acquaintance, Rochester.
"There's no need, I presume, to make you acquainted with this other gentleman," said Charles, with a laughing glance at Sir Norman.
"Kingsley, stand forward and receive your bride.

My Lord of Canterbury, we await your good offices." The bland bishop, in surplice and stole, and book in hand, stepped from a distant group, and advanced.