Events, however, continued in this wrong course so
long and persistently that at last the truth dawned upon her and she
began to doubt; and as time flew on and matters evinced a disposition
to grow worse instead of better, she gradually, like the sundial in
the moonlight, awakened to the fact that there was something wrong; a
cog loose somewhere in the complicated machinery of fate--the fate
which had always been her tried, trusted and obedient servant.
The trouble began in earnest with the discovery of our meetings in
Lady Mary's parlor. There was nothing at all unusual in the fact that
small companies of young folk frequently spent their evenings with
her, but we knew well enough that the unusual element in our parties
was their exceeding smallness. A company of eight or ten young persons
was well enough, although it, of course, created jealousy on the part
of those who were left out; but four--two of each sex--made a
difference in kind, however much we might insist it was only in
degree; and this we soon learned was the king's opinion.
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