he said with a wink and an affected air of severity:--

"Gentlemen, I insist that you make an effort to be more careful of my
tanners in your frolics. Even tanners' hides have their uses. Waste them
not! Again I say, waste them not!"

"Not even for a thousand pounds, Rowley?" asked Crofts.

"Ah, well, of course, a thousand pounds is--well, it is a thousand
pounds," answered the king, laughing.

It may be surmised from the king's words and manner that he intended
taking no steps to bring the offenders to justice, and that he knew who
they were. The London people soon discovered his real intent and began in
earnest on their own account.

When the net began to draw too closely about the culprits, the king
interfered and gave the London courts of justice to understand that
further proceedings against Wentworth, Crofts, and Berkeley would cause a
royal frown. The Londoners were not willing to drop the matter, even at
the risk of royal displeasure, so the king caused it to be hinted to the
London officials that Crofts, Berkeley, and Wentworth were innocent, but
that possibly Hamilton was the guilty man. No mention was made of
Churchill, he being at the time the Duke of York's most intimate friend.

Hamilton was away from home and was friendless, all of which gave his
accusers the courage to fix suspicion on him, though they did so without
taking the responsibility of making the charge themselves.

So it was that when George returned to England, several weeks later, he