The Queen turned her eyes from the one to the other. "I doubt," she

said, "this same poetical Master Tressilian, who is too learned, I

warrant me, to remember whose presence he was to appear in, may be one

of those of whom Geoffrey Chaucer says wittily, the wisest clerks are

not the wisest men. I remember that Varney is a smooth-tongued varlet. I

doubt this fair runaway hath had reasons for breaking her faith."

To this Raleigh durst make no answer, aware how little he should benefit

Tressilian by contradicting the Queen's sentiments, and not at all

certain, on the whole, whether the best thing that could befall him

would not be that she should put an end at once by her authority to this

affair, upon which it seemed to him Tressilian's thoughts were fixed

with unavailing and distressing pertinacity. As these reflections

passed through his active brain, the lower door of the hall opened, and

Leicester, accompanied by several of his kinsmen, and of the nobles who

had embraced his faction, re-entered the Castle Hall.

The favourite Earl was now apparelled all in white, his shoes being of

white velvet; his under-stocks (or stockings) of knit silk; his upper

stocks of white velvet, lined with cloth of silver, which was shown at

the slashed part of the middle thigh; his doublet of cloth of

silver, the close jerkin of white velvet, embroidered with silver and

seed-pearl, his girdle and the scabbard of his sword of white velvet

with golden buckles; his poniard and sword hilted and mounted with gold;

and over all a rich, loose robe of white satin, with a border of golden

embroidery a foot in breadth. The collar of the Garter, and the azure

garter itself around his knee, completed the appointments of the Earl

of Leicester; which were so well matched by his fair stature, graceful

gesture, fine proportion of body, and handsome countenance, that at that

moment he was admitted by all who saw him as the goodliest person whom

they had ever looked upon. Sussex and the other nobles were also richly

attired, but in point of splendour and gracefulness of mien Leicester

far exceeded them all.

Elizabeth received him with great complacency. "We have one piece of

royal justice," she said, "to attend to. It is a piece of justice, too,

which interests us as a woman, as well as in the character of mother and

guardian of the English people."

An involuntary shudder came over Leicester as he bowed low, expressive

of his readiness to receive her royal commands; and a similar cold fit

came over Varney, whose eyes (seldom during that evening removed from

his patron) instantly perceived from the change in his looks, slight as

that was, of what the Queen was speaking. But Leicester had wrought

his resolution up to the point which, in his crooked policy, he judged

necessary; and when Elizabeth added, "it is of the matter of Varney

and Tressilian we speak--is the lady here, my lord?" his answer was

ready--"Gracious madam, she is not."




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