text:  I was at length informed under the seal of secrecy by his secretary that some information of popular movements within a few miles having been conveyed to him late in the day he had put himself at the head of a squadron of his yeomanry to ascertain the nature of the disturbance and as it was then too late to countermand the invitations to the ball had given strict orders that the cause of his absence should be concealed and that the entertainments should go on as if he were present