CHAPTER X
THE QUEEN TAKES OFFENSE
The queen at length reached the great hall of the castle, gorgeously hungwith tapestries for her reception, and resounding to the strains of softand delicious music. At the upper end of the chamber was a throne andbeside it a door which opened into a suite of apartments for the queenwhenever it should be her pleasure to be private. The hall was throngedwith spectators, for a masque was to be given, and menials as well ascourtiers were interested in the pageant.
Francis mingled with the crowd purposing to retire very soon to her bowerto don habit more befitting her sex, but enjoying for the nonce thefreedom which her garb gave her. Presently she felt her cloak twitched assome one said:
"Where is your sister, sir? I see her not among those who attend thequeen."
"My sister?" The girl wheeled about, and uttered an exclamation ofamazement as she recognized the speaker. "What dost thou here?" shedemanded sternly. "And why art thou in that attire?"
The boy, for it was the lad who had shot the deer in the chase, gave ventto a low laugh.
"I came to see the queen. Why should I not? I am her leal and truesubject, which is more than thou canst say even if thou didst rattle offher welcome so glibly in Latin. As for my dress, it is my own. Why shouldI not wear it, Master Stafford?"
"I am as true a subject to the queen as thou art," retorted Francis. "Whyart thou here? Thou shouldst be in durance for the deer which thou didstshoot in the forest," and a sneer curled her lips.
"So she told you of it," exclaimed the lad.
"She? Whom mean you?" queried Francis in bewilderment.
"Thy sister, stupid. How else couldst thou have known of the deer? Truly,thou art as much like her as one pea is to another. Should you but donher frock there would be none that could tell ye apart. Where is she?"
Francis laughed outright as the lad's mistake dawned upon her, and amerry twinkle came into her eyes.
"My sister is occupied," she answered mischievously. "Marry! it were wellfor thee that it was she with whom thou didst dispute over the deer. Butthou hast been punished enough, else I would not let thee leave this hallbefore thou wouldst feel the weight of my whip."
"Beshrew me, I like not thy brag," cried the other angrily. "Know, MasterStafford, that I was not punished. So soon as the keepers found who andwhat I was they made apology for treating me in such an unmannerlyfashion, and brought me the horns of the deer as trophy of my skill. Theynow repose in mine own abode."
"Brought thee the horns in trophy of thy skill?" repeated the girl inwrathful incredulity. "Brought them to thee, forsooth! Why, minion, thoudidst not kill the deer. I slew it myself."
"Marry! dost thou take thy sister's quarrel upon thee," cried the boy."Know then that I slew it, and I am ready to maintain the matter by forceof arms."
"Francis," Greville came up opportunely at this moment, "thou artforgetting thyself. Thy mother wishes thy presence. Why doth thou showcholer toward this lad? Why, it is the lad who shot the deer!"
"You too, Greville," exclaimed Francis bitterly. "I think the sight ofElizabeth hath addled thy wits. As for you, young sir, 'tis well that myduty to my mother calls me hence else thou shouldst not get off soeasily."
"At another time then," replied the boy, "thou wilt find me at thyservice. We can settle our difference then."
"Now heaven forfend!" ejaculated the tutor urging Francis away. "Thiscomes of donning male habit. I will report the matter to my lady,Francis. She will see to't that thou dost conduct thyself in more seemlymanner. 'Twould but amuse my lord."
"Keep a still tongue in thy head, cousin," said the girl sharply. "Meddlenot with that that doth not concern thee. Couldst thou not see that thefellow did but laud himself? The varlet dare not meet me."
"Methought he spoke not without courage," observed Greville. "I shouldjudge by his dress that his rank was equal to thine."
"His dress, forsooth! What doth hinder any hind from appearing in richattire?"
"The law of the queen. It regulates dress according to rank, and workswith severity against those who dare transgress it," returned Greville."There stands thy lady mother. I entreat thee, girl, abide close by herside during the queen's visit else thy sharp tongue may work mischief forall of us. My lady, here is the child."
Lady Stafford who stood near the queen and her ladies lookedreproachfully at her daughter.
"Hast thou not changed thy garb yet, my child?" she asked. "It behoovesthee to do so at once for it savors of disrespect to the queen not toappear in other array."
"Nay;" said Elizabeth who had overheard her words. "The lad is wellenough as he is. We warrant that he wished not to miss any of thispageant which hath been prepared in our honor. He shall attend us in ourown chamber to which we and our ladies will now retire for some privacy.Come, my boy."
Much embarrassed Lady Stafford strove to stammer forth the truth but thequeen waved her hand peremptorily.
"No more, madam. It is our wish that he attend us as he is. He shall donother garb later."
There was nothing left for Francis to do but to follow her as she retiredwith the ladies to the apartments which had been allotted to her use. Forthe first time the girl was painfully conscious of the incongruousness ofher attire. That the queen might ask her attendance had not occurred toany of them, and had it done so the affair would have seemed easy ofexplanation, but it had been found exceedingly difficult to get ahearing. She resolved, however, that should occasion present she wouldtell all hoping that the queen would pardon the deception, if such itmight be called.
_ELIZABETH EXTENDED HER HAND GRACIOUSLY_]
For some time Elizabeth conversed with her maids, taking no notice ofFrancis, but at length she said abruptly,
"Come here, my lad."
Francis approached diffidently, and, unused to the customs of the court,remained standing.
"Kneel, boy," whispered one of the ladies whom she afterward learned wasthe Duchess of Rutland. "Where are thy manners?"
"Thy pardon," murmured Francis in consternation sinking upon one knee. "Iknew not. I----"
"There! 'tis naught." Elizabeth extended her hand graciously, and thegirl retained presence of mind enough to kiss it respectfully. "My goodRutland, expect not court manners in the midst of a forest. The youthmeans well enough, I dare say, and I liked well his words of welcome.'Tis a pretty lad! His tresses match our own for brightness."
Francis looked up somewhat indignantly. Her locks were of red in truth,but they were glossy and lustrous becoming golden in the sun, whileElizabeth's were a dull red and false.
"Oh, no, Your Majesty;" interposed one of the ladies. "The lad's hair iswell enough, but I should as soon think of likening a weed to a rose asof comparing such lack-lustre locks to your liege's."
"Foolish girl!" chided Elizabeth though a smile played about her lips forthis great queen did not object to the most fulsome flattery. "To speaksuch words to me who am an old woman. Now the lad, we dare affirm, dothnot think me so fair as his mother who is, in truth, a beautiful woman.Speak, boy!" She smiled at Francis as she spoke and rearranged herdraperies coquettishly.
Francis' young nature was filled with scorn for the vanity of the womanbefore her, queen though she was. Her mother's face arose before her withits delicate complexion guiltless of the powder and the rouge affected bythe ladies of the court. Her tresses were streaked somewhat with gray,but they were still her own. Her eyes were as blue as periwinkles andfull of tenderness and love. The girl's eyes swept the painted face aboveher, and her heart grew hot within her breast at the queen's question.Amazed at her own audacity she arose and said boldly:
"Madam, I crave pardon, but my mother is to me the fairest woman in theworld."
For an instant there was dead silence in the chamber. An expression offury crossed the queen's face. She half rose from her couch, and thensank back upon it.
"We were near forgetting, Sir Malapert, that thou hadst not had benefitof court life. Thy manners must be mende
d ere thou dost come into ourpresence again. Go! you weary me. Come near me no more. And he is a pupilof Greville's!" Francis heard her exclaim as she hurried away. "My life,the boy is duller than he looks!"
Full of consternation at what she had done, angry and resentful also,Francis sought her parents to relate the incident to them.
"Oh, child, child," moaned the mother. "What hast thou done! What hastthou done!"
"My mother, was it not the truth? Thou art fairer; a thousand timesfairer than she. She is an ugly old woman----"
"My daughter," interrupted Lord Stafford, "say no more. Elizabeth is thequeen, and whatever may be her weaknesses and faults she is still thequeen. And mark you, child! though she hath many faults she hath alsogreat virtues. For this reason her people overlook her vanity and exalther. She is a queen, but she is also a woman. Thou art too young tounderstand all that that means yet. Now, let me think how to makeamends."
"She said that I was to come near her no more while she remained. I amsorry if I did wrong in speaking so, but still it is the truth. My motheris the fairer."
"Hush, hush," whispered the lady drawing her close. "'Tis treason, child.What doth it matter to us whether or no I am the fairer. It bodes us illto say so. Oh, child, I am afeared."
"Let us ask Greville to aid us," said Lord Stafford. "Mayhap he cansuggest a remedy, for well doth he ken Elizabeth's humors."
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