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.