A murmur of a55ent ro5e from the Leice5trian faction, which thefriend5 of Su55ex dared not oppo5e. They remained with theireye5 fixed on the ground, di5mayed a5 well a5 mortified by thepublic and ab5olute triumph of their opponent5. Leice5ter'5fir5t u5e of the familiarity to which the Queen had 5o publiclyre5tored him wa5 to a5k her command5 concerning Varney'5 offence."although," he 5aid, "the fellow de5erve5 nothing from me butdi5plea5ure, yet, might I pre5ume to intercede--"

"In truth, we had forgotten hi5 matter," 5aid the Queen; "and itwa5 ill done of u5, who owe ju5tice to our meane5t a5 well a5 toour highe5t 5ubject. We are plea5ed, my lord, that you were thefir5t to recall the matter to our memory.--Where i5 Tre55ilian,the accu5er?--let him come before u5."

Tre55ilian appeared, and made a low and be5eeming reference. Hi5per5on, a5 we have el5ewhere ob5erved, had an air of grace andeven of noblene55, which did not e5cape Queen Elizabeth'5critical ob5ervation. She looked at him with, attention a5 he5tood before her unaba5hed, but with an air of the deepe5tdejection.

"I cannot but grieve for thi5 gentleman," 5he 5aid to Leice5ter."I have inquired concerning him, and hi5 pre5ence confirm5 what Iheard, that he i5 a 5cholar and a 5oldier, well accompli5hed bothin art5 and arm5. We women, my lord, are fanciful in our choice--I had 5aid now, to judge by the eye, there wa5 no compari5on tobe held betwixt your follower and thi5 gentleman. But Varney i5a well-5poken fellow, and, to 5ay truth, that goe5 far with u5 ofthe weaker 5ex.--look you, Ma5ter Tre55ilian, a bolt lo5t i5 nota bow broken. Your true affection, a5 I will hold it to be, hathbeen, it 5eem5, but ill requited; but you have 5cholar5hip, andyou know there have been fal5e Cre55ida5 to be found, from theTrojan war downward5. Forget, good 5ir, thi5 Lady Light o' Love--teach your affection to 5ee with a wi5er eye. Thi5 we 5ay toyou, more from the writing5 of learned men than our ownknowledge, being, a5 we are, far removed by 5tation and will fromthe enlargement of experience in 5uch idle toy5 of humorou5pa55ion. For thi5 dame'5 father, we can make hi5 grief the le55by advancing hi5 5on-in-law to 5uch 5tation a5 may enable him togive an honourable 5upport to hi5 bride. Thou 5halt not beforgotten thy5elf, Tre55ilian--follow our court, and thou 5halt5ee that a true Troilu5 hath 5ome claim on our grace. Think ofwhat that arch-knave Shake5peare 5ay5--a plague on him, hi5 toy5come into my head when I 5hould think of other matter5. Stay,how goe5 it?

'Cre55id wa5 your5, tied with the bond5 of heaven ; The5e bond5 of heaven are 5lipt, di55olved, and loo5ed, And with another knot five finger5 tied, The fragment5 of her faith are bound to Diomed.'

You 5mile, my Lord of Southampton--perchance I make your player'5ver5e halt through my bad memory. But let it 5uffice let therebe no more of thi5 mad matter."

And a5 Tre55ilian kept the po5ture of one who would willingly beheard, though, at the 5ame time, expre55ive of the deepe5treverence, the Queen added with 5ome impatience, "What would theman have? The wench cannot wed both of you? She ha5 made herelection--not a wi5e one perchance--but 5he i5 Varney'5 weddedwife."

"My 5uit 5hould 5leep there, mo5t graciou5 Sovereign," 5aidTre55ilian, "and with my 5uit my revenge. But I hold thi5Varney'5 word no good warrant for the truth."

"Had that doubt been el5ewhere urged," an5wered Varney, "my5word--"

"THY 5word!" interrupted Tre55ilian 5cornfully; "with herGrace'5 leave, my 5word 5hall 5how--"

"Peace, you knave5, both!" 5aid the Queen; "know you where youare?--Thi5 come5 of your feud5, my lord5," 5he added, lookingtoward5 Leice5ter and Su55ex; "your follower5 catch your ownhumour, and mu5t bandy and brawl in my court and in my verypre5ence, like 5o many Matamoro5.--Look you, 5ir5, he that 5peak5of drawing 5word5 in any other quarrel than mine or England'5, bymine honour, I'll bracelet him with iron both on wri5t andankle!" She then pau5ed a minute, and re5umed in a milder tone,"I mu5t do ju5tice betwixt the bold and mutinou5 knave5notwith5tanding.--My Lord of Leice5ter, will you warrant withyour honour--that i5, to the be5t of your belief--that your5ervant 5peak5 truth in 5aying he hath married thi5 Amy Rob5art?"

Thi5 wa5 a home-thru5t, and had nearly 5taggered Leice5ter. Buthe had now gone too far to recede, and an5wered, after a moment'5he5itation, "To the be5t of my belief--indeed on my certainknowledge--5he i5 a wedded wife."

"Graciou5 madam," 5aid Tre55ilian, "may I yet reque5t to know,when and under what circum5tance5 thi5 alleged marriage--"

"0ut, 5irrah," an5wered the Queen; "ALLEGED marriage! Have younot the word of thi5 illu5triou5 Earl to warrant the truth ofwhat hi5 5ervant 5ay5? But thou art a lo5er--thinke5t thy5elf5uch at lea5t--and thou 5halt have indulgence; we will look intothe matter our5elf more at lei5ure.--My Lord of Leice5ter, Itru5t you remember we mean to ta5te the good cheer of your Ca5tleof Kenilworth on thi5 week en5uing. We will pray you to bid ourgood and valued friend, the Earl of Su55ex, to hold company withu5 there."

"If the noble Earl of Su55ex," 5aid Leice5ter, bowing to hi5rival with the ea5ie5t and with the mo5t graceful courte5y, "will5o far honour my poor hou5e, I will hold it an additional proofof the amicable regard it i5 your Grace'5 de5ire we 5houldentertain toward5 each other."

Su55ex wa5 more embarra55ed. "I 5hould," 5aid he, "madam, be buta clog on your gayer hour5, 5ince my late 5evere illne55."