She stopped him with a kiss. "But I'll never forgive Lorry!" said Dick in a minute. "Never! No, sir! Go down! I pointedly told you about it. I relied on you, sir, to make her understand,--that I did." Lorry sighed, with every show of contrition, thrusting his nose into his mistress's hand. "You must pardon us both, Dick dear. And what said you?" she asked eagerly. "That I was safe?" "Yes, yes, Cousin Dorothy. Why, John Dent is dead, and--" And the story of his adventure followed, with many wondering, incredulous questions from her Ladyship. Indeed, Dick read something more than mere amazement in her face as he related his freedoms with the King. She half expressed a fear that Dick had been deceived again in some way. But Dick patiently assured her it was true, every word of it, and passed on to the arrangements His Majesty made, and how he then placed the matter in the hands of Giles--Giles, who was alive, who was there with his master,--Giles, who had come all the way with Dick, and had managed everything so excellent well. "Oh, don't sing me his praises!" her ladyship said, lifting her hand. "Every particle of my appreciation is keeping for you." "But I could have done nothing without Giles and His Majesty." "Oh, I give you the King, Dick, and welcome!" she said. "But I take it as singular His Majesty should have given the affair--my affair, when you come to reflect, Dick, and I am a lady, into the hands of a groom. But you say you have officers with the troops--in command of them? Giles, I suppose, was to wait upon you." Dick hid his face in her dress, and shook with laughter. The Earl of Lumley to wait on him! "Oh, Cousin Dorothy!" he bubbled. He clapped his hands to his mouth to keep himself from telling all about dear Giles. "Why do you laugh so, Dick?" she demanded. "Where is the occasion? You're over-excited, my brave little knight." She bent over him. "Where did His Majesty kiss you, Dick? We must keep the place sacred, I think." Dick raised his face with the most exasperating chuckle. "'Tis too late for that, Cousin Dorothy. Giles has been over the ground several times." Her Ladyship made a slight, laughing gesture of contempt or annoyance, and he did not receive the proffered kiss. Dick stood up. "Well, Cousin Dorothy," he said slyly. "There is that Giles, you know, standing out there in the sun, very tired, maybe, and very hot, and--" "And very thirsty, no doubt," she said. "Why did he not go in with the rest? You said you'd given Philip his orders to wait on them?" "Yes, Cousin Dorothy, but Giles said he would wait outside till he had your Ladyship's permission to enter." "Very proper," observed her Ladyship coolly. "Let him wait, Dick. I want your tale all over again. And then my thanks are to be made, Dickie." But Dick looked positively frightened. "Oh, Cousin!" he gasped, "I doubt we had better leave him no longer,--he--he--"