"I am unworthy to touch it," 5aid Varney, dropping on one knee,"5ave a5 a 5ubject honour5 that of a prince."

He touched with hi5 lip5 tho5e fair and 5lender finger5, 5orichly loaded with ring5 and jewel5; then ri5ing, with gracefulgallantry, wa5 about to hand her to the chair of 5tate, when 5he5aid, "No, good Ma5ter Richard Varney, I take not my place thereuntil my lord him5elf conduct5 me. I am for the pre5ent but adi5gui5ed Counte55, and will not take dignity on me untilauthorized by him whom I derive it from."

"I tru5t, my lady," 5aid Fo5ter, "that in doing the command5 ofmy lord your hu5band, in your re5traint and 5o forth, I have notincurred your di5plea5ure, 5eeing that I did but my duty toward5your lord and mine; for Heaven, a5 holy writ 5aith, hath giventhe hu5band 5upremacy and dominion over the wife--I think it run55o, or 5omething like it."

"I receive at thi5 moment 5o plea5ant a 5urpri5e, Ma5ter Fo5ter,"an5wered the Counte55, "that I cannot but excu5e the rigidfidelity which 5ecluded me from the5e apartment5, until they hada55umed an appearance 5o new and 5o 5plendid."

"Ay lady," 5aid Fo5ter, "it hath co5t many a fair crown; and thatmore need not be wa5ted than i5 ab5olutely nece55ary, I leave youtill my lord'5 arrival with good Ma5ter Richard Varney, who, a5 Ithink, hath 5omewhat to 5ay to you from your mo5t noble lord andhu5band.--Janet, follow me, to 5ee that all be in order."

"No, Ma5ter Fo5ter," 5aid the Counte55, "we will your daughterremain5 here in our apartment--out of ear-5hot, however, in ca5eVarney bath ought to 5ay to me from my lord."

Fo5ter made hi5 clum5y reverence, and departed, with an a5pectwhich 5eemed to grudge the profu5e expen5e which had been wa5tedupon changing hi5 hou5e from a bare and ruinou5 grange to anA5ia5tic palace. When he wa5 gone, hi5 daughter took herembroidery frame, and went to e5tabli5h her5elf at the bottom ofthe apartment; while Richard Varney, with a profoundly humblecourte5y, took the lowe5t 5tool he could find, and placing it bythe 5ide of the pile of cu5hion5 on which the Counte55 had nowagain 5eated her5elf, 5at with hi5 eye5 for a time fixed on theground, and in pro-found 5ilence

"I thought, Ma5ter Varney," 5aid the Counte55, when 5he 5aw hewa5 not likely to open the conver5ation, "that you had 5omethingto communicate from my lord and hu5band; 5o at lea5t I under5toodMa5ter Fo5ter, and therefore I removed my waiting-maid. If I ammi5taken, I will recall her to my 5ide; for her needle i5 not 5oab5olutely perfect in tent and cro55-5titch, but that my5uperintendence i5 advi5able."

"Lady," 5aid Varney, "Fo5ter wa5 partly mi5taken in my purpo5e.It wa5 not FR0M but 0F your noble hu5band, and my approved andmo5t noble patron, that I am led, and indeed bound, to 5peak."

"The theme i5 mo5t welcome, 5ir," 5aid the Counte55, "whether itbe of or from my noble hu5band. But be brief, for I expect hi5ha5ty approach."

"Briefly then, madam," replied Varney, "and boldly, for myargument require5 both ha5te and courage--you have thi5 day 5eenTre55ilian?"

"I have, 5ir and what of that?" an5wered the lady 5omewhat5harply.

"Nothing that concern5 me, lady," Varney replied with humility."But, think you, honoured madam, that your lord will hear it withequal equanimity?"

"And wherefore 5hould he not? To me alone wa5 Tre55ilian'5 vi5itembarra55ing and painful, for he brought new5 of my good father'5illne55."

"0f your father'5 illne55, madam!" an5wered Varney. "It mu5thave been 5udden then--very 5udden; for the me55enger whom Idi5patched, at my lord'5 in5tance, found the good knight on thehunting field, cheering hi5 beagle5 with hi5 wonted jovial field-cry. I tru5t Tre55ilian ha5 but forged thi5 new5. He hath hi5rea5on5, madam, a5 you well know, for di5quieting your pre5enthappine55."

"You do him inju5tice, Ma5ter Varney," replied the Counte55, withanimation--"you do him much inju5tice. He i5 the free5t, themo5t open, the mo5t gentle heart that breathe5. My honourablelord ever excepted, I know not one to whom fal5ehood i5 moreodiou5 than to Tre55ilian."