mouth, and minced three times round the room before they were
extinguished, while _La belle Stuart_ paraded after him, clapping her
hands and laughing in her glee.

Such a feat was an efficient passport to her favour. Rollicking George
was at once installed as playmate-in-chief to the spoiled child, and was
privileged with a greater intimacy than any of her other favourites had
ever enjoyed.

"Since the Court has been in the country," he confessed,
"I have had a hundred opportunities of seeing her. You
know that the _déshabille_ of the bath is a great
convenience for those ladies who, strictly adhering to
their rules of decorum, are yet desirous to display all
their charms and attractions. Miss Stuart is so fully
acquainted with the advantages she possesses over all
other women, that it is hardly possible to praise any
lady at Court for a well-turned arm and a fine leg, but
she is ever ready to dispute the point by demonstration.
After all, a man must be very insensible to remain
unconcerned and unmoved on such happy occasions."

It is conceivable that Hamilton, stimulated by such, no doubt, artless
encouragement as he seems to have enjoyed, might have made a conquest
where so many had failed, had not his future brother-in-law, Gramont,
taken him seriously to task and warned him of the grave danger of
flirting with the lady on whom the King had set eyes of love, and
persuaded him at the eleventh hour to beat a dignified retreat.

Pepys draws a pretty picture of Miss Stuart at this time, as he saw her