"Why should such a thing as that be supposed?" Desmond asked,
indignantly.

"Well, there is something in support of the idea. If anyone else
were to steal away, with or without her consent, a young lady of
the court with influential friends, he would be likely to pass the
first two years of his married life in one of the royal prisons;
and therefore none but a desperate man, or one so secure of the
king's favour as to feel certain that no evil consequences would
befall him, would venture upon such a step. You must remember that
there are not a few nobles of the court who have ruined themselves,
to keep up the lavish expenditure incumbent upon those who bask in
the royal favour at Versailles. It would be possible that His
Majesty may have endeavoured to obtain the hand of this young lady
for one of his favourites, and that her father may be a noble of
sufficient consequence to hold his own, and to express to His
Majesty his regret that he was unable to adopt his recommendation,
as he had other views for the disposal of her hand.

"The real singularity of the matter is, that no one can tell with
certainty who the missing lady is. Early in the day half a dozen
were named, but as I believe all of these put in an appearance at
the reception in the afternoon, it is evident that, so far as they
were concerned, there were no foundations for the rumour. It may
be taken for certain, however, that her friends are powerful
people, to have been able to impose silence upon those acquainted
with the facts."

"Well, it is impossible to take very much interest in the story,"