“He shall eat his words--every foul word he uttered he shall swallow in the presence of Nell herself,” cried Dick, and then Nell recognised Sir Charles Sedley as the man who was standing panting, with a broken sword in his hand, by her side, facing Dick. “For God's sake, Dick!--Sir Charles--what has happened?” The courtier was too breathless to speak--he signified so much very pleasingly to Nell. “The cowardly knave!” panted Dick. “But I swore that I'd make him eat his words, and by the Lord Harry, I'll keep my oath!” “Sir Charles, pray--oh, Dick!” “Dick me no Dicks, Nell, until this popinjay has gone down on his knees before you and asked your pardon for his foul words,” cried Dick. “Down you go, my gentleman, were you fifty times Sir Charles.” “For heaven's sake, Nell, keep that fire-eater at a distance,” gasped Sir Charles; “he's fit for Bedlam!” “Stand where you be, Dick,” said Nell. “What said Sir Charles Sedley to give you offence?” “He said that you--no, I 'll hang in chains in Execution Dock before I repeat the lie--but he'll take it back, every word, if I have to wring his neck!” Dick was with difficulty kept at a distance. “Did he say aught about the King and me?” asked Nell, in a low voice. “It was, I swear, a most unhappy _contretems_, Nell,” said Sir Charles, smiling in a somewhat constrained way. “How could I know that there was one man in England who did n't know how splendid, yet how natural, a conquest the charms of Mistress Eleanor Gwyn have achieved?” “Then you only spoke the truth, Sir Charles,” said Nell. “God above us!” Dick staggered back, and grasped the frame of a chair to support himself. There was a long silence. He took a faltering step or two towards where she stood in the middle of the room. “I see it all now,” he said, in a low voice. “I see it all. This house--the lacqueys in scarlet--the King's servants--they are the King's servants, and you--you, Nell, are the King's----Oh, God! let me die--let me die! This is what I came home for! You told me to go to the first coffee-house; I did n't need to go so far. Oh, Nelly, if I had come home to stand beside the green hillock of your grave I could have borne it, but this--this!” He dropped into a chair and covered his face with his hands. His sobbing was the only sound in the room. After a long pause he got slowly upon his feet. “I'm going away,” he said. “My heart is broken, Nell--my heart is broken. Good-bye, Nell.” “Good-bye, Dick.” She had not moved from the middle of the room. She did not hold out a hand to him. He walked slowly to the door. Then he turned round. “I humbly ask your pardon, sir,” he said to Sir Charles. “Sir,” said the courtier, “I honour you more than any living man.” “Nell--Nell--come to me--come away with me--come to my arms, Nell,” cried the man, holding out his hands to her from where she stood. Sir Charles watched her face. He saw it light up for a moment. Her hands moved; she was going to him.