the hour of four
I soon learned that the king had been away from the palace all night , having left in a coach near the hour of five the preceding afternoon , so that he must have been not far ahead of George , Betty , and me on the way to Merlin House . When I learned that he was away , and that I would not be needed that morning at the Wardrobe , I went to seek Frances . Before ten o'clock , the hour at which the maids assembled to greet the duchess in her closet , Frances was on hand , looking pale , and explaining that she had been ill at her father 's house over night . Near the hour of four that afternoon , while I was looking out the window , I saw a coach approach from the direction of Charing Cross , and seemed to know that the king was in it . I hastened to Frances and told her to station herself where the king could see her before he went to his closet , and perhaps speak to her . I stood near by , and when the king entered I noticed him start on seeing Frances . When he came up to us , she smiled and made so deep a courtesy that one would have thought she was overjoyed to see him .