"Love passages!" said she, echoing his last words; "what passages, thou

knave? and why not ask the wench's hand from her father, if thou hadst

any honesty in thy love for her?"

"An it please your Grace," said Varney, still on his knees, "I dared not

do so, for her father had promised her hand to a gentleman of birth and

honour--I will do him justice, though I know he bears me ill-will--one

Master Edmund Tressilian, whom I now see in the presence."

"Soh!" replied the Queen. "And what was your right to make the simple

fool break her worthy father's contract, through your love PASSAGES, as

your conceit and assurance terms them?"

"Madam," replied Varney, "it is in vain to plead the cause of human

frailty before a judge to whom it is unknown, or that of love to one who

never yields to the passion"--he paused an instant, and then added, in a

very low and timid tone--"which she inflicts upon all others."

Elizabeth tried to frown, but smiled in her own despite, as she

answered, "Thou art a marvellously impudent knave. Art thou married to

the girl?"

Leicester's feelings became so complicated and so painfully intense,

that it seemed to him as if his life was to depend on the answer made by

Varney, who, after a moment's real hesitation, answered, "Yes."

"Thou false villain!" said Leicester, bursting forth into rage, yet

unable to add another word to the sentence which he had begun with such

emphatic passion.

"Nay, my lord," said the Queen, "we will, by your leave, stand between

this fellow and your anger. We have not yet done with him.--Knew your

master, my Lord of Leicester, of this fair work of yours? Speak truth, I

command thee, and I will be thy warrant from danger on every quarter."

"Gracious madam," said Varney, "to speak Heaven's truth, my lord was the

cause of the whole matter."

"Thou villain, wouldst thou betray me?" said Leicester.

"Speak on," said the Queen hastily, her cheek colouring, and her eyes

sparkling, as she addressed Varney--"speak on. Here no commands are

heard but mine."

"They are omnipotent, gracious madam," replied Varney; "and to you there

can be no secrets.--Yet I would not," he added, looking around him,

"speak of my master's concerns to other ears."

"Fall back, my lords," said the Queen to those who surrounded her, "and

do you speak on. What hath the Earl to do with this guilty intrigue of

thine? See, fellow, that thou beliest him not!"




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