"I have another defence for the public--Sir--not so courteous to Your Majesty." He remained rigid an instant. "Then for the public," he said, "you do not think the truth enough?" "No, Sir; it is for Your Majesty that I think the truth too much." "I will have it!" cried the King. "This moment!" Interiorly I licked my lips, as a dog when he sees a bone. His Majesty should have the truth now, with a vengeance. All was falling out exactly as I had designed. He should not have kept me waiting so long; or I might not have thought of it. "Well, Sir," said I, "you will remember I should not have dared to say it to Your Majesty, had I not been commanded." He said nothing. Then, once more, I ruffled my growling dog's ears, so that he snarled. "First, Sir; to the public I should say: If this is counted brawling, what of other scenes in Whitehall on which no charge was made? What of the sun-dial, smashed all to fragments one night, in the Privy Garden, by certain of the King's Gentlemen whom I could name? What of the broken door-knockers--not only in the City, but upon certain doors in Whitehall itself--broken, again by certain of the King's Gentlemen whom I could name? What of a scene I viewed myself in the Banqueting Hall last Christmastide in Your Majesty's presence, when a Spanish gentleman received full in his face a bunch of raisins, from--" "Ah!" snarled the King. "And you would say that to the public?" "Sir--that is only the exordium "--(my voice was raised a little, I think, for indeed I was raging again by now). "Next, I would observe that Mistress Jermyn is my own cousin, and that the hour was eight o'clock in the evening--not nine, if I may so far correct Your Majesty; whereas very different hours are kept by some members of the Court, and the ladies are not their cousins at all." I had never seen the King so angry. He was unable to speak for fury. His face paled to parchment-colour under his sallow skin, and his eyes burned like coals. This time I lashed my anger, deliberately, instead of tickling it merely.