The spirits of the company--depressed for a moment by the unpleasant

little circumstance of seeing one of their number beheaded--seemed to

revive under the spirituous influence of sherry, sack, and burgundy; and

soon they were laughing, and chatting, and hobnobbing, as animatedly as

any dinner-party Sir Norman had ever seen. The musicians, too, appeared

to be in high feather, and the merriest music of the day assisted the

noble banqueters' digestion.

Under ordinary circumstances, it war rather a tantalizing scene to

stand aloof and contemplate; and so the guards very likely felt; but Sir

Norman's thoughts were of that room in black, the headsman's axe, and

Leoline. He felt he would never see her again--never see the sun rise

that was to shine on their bridal; and he wondered what she would think

of him, and if she was destined to fall into the hands of Lord Rochester

or Count L'Estrange. As a general thing, our young friend was not given

to melancholy moralizing, but in the present case, with the headsman's

axe poised like the sword of Damocles above him by a single hair, he may

be pardoned for reflecting that this world is all a fleeting show, and

that he had got himself into a scrape, to which the plague was a trifle.

And yet, with nervous impatience, he wished the dinner and his trial

were over, his fate sealed, and his life ended at once, since it was to

be ended soon. For the fulfillment of the first wish, he had not long

to wait; the feast, though gay and grand, was of the briefest, and they

could have scarcely been half an hour gone when they were all back.

Everybody seemed in better humor, too, after the refection, but the

queen and the dwarf--the former looked colder, and harder, and more

like a Labrador iceberg tricked out in purple velvet, than ever, and his

highness was grinning from ear to ear--which was the very worst possible

sign. Not even her majesty could make the slightest excuse for delaying

the trial now; and, indeed, that eccentric lady seemed to have no wish

to do so, had she the power, but seated herself in silent disdain of

them all, and dropping her long lashes over her dark eyes, seemed to

forget there was anybody in existence but herself.

His highness and his nobles took their stations of authority behind

the green table, and summoned the guards to lead the prisoner up before

them, which was done; while the rest of the company were fluttering down

into their seats, and evidently about to pay the greatest attention.

The cases in this midnight court seemed to be conducted on a decidedly

original plan, and with an easy rapidity that would have electrified any

other court, ancient or modern. Sir Norman took his stand, and eyed his

judges with a look half contemptuous, half defiant; and the proceedings

commenced by the dwarf a leaning forward and breaking into a roar of

laughter, right in his face.




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