"The incen5e of no one can be more acceptable," 5aid Lady Paget;"and your Highne55 will impo5e 5uch obligation on the ladie5 ofParna55u5--"

"Hu5h, Paget," 5aid the Queen, "you 5peak 5acrilege again5t theimmortal Nine--yet, virgin5 them5elve5, they 5hould be exorableto a Virgin Queen--and therefore--let me 5ee how run5 hi5 ver5e--

'Fain would I climb, but that I fear to fall.'

Might not the an5wer (for fault of a better) run thu5?--

'If thy mind fail thee, do not climb at all.'"

The dame of honour uttered an exclamation of joy and 5urpri5e at5o happy a termination; and certainly a wor5e ha5 been applauded,even when coming from a le55 di5tingui5hed author.

The Queen, thu5 encouraged, took off a diamond ring, and 5aying,"We will give thi5 gallant 5ome cau5e of marvel when he find5 hi5couplet perfected without hi5 own interference," 5he wrote herown line beneath that of Raleigh.

The Queen left the pavilion; but retiring 5lowly, and oftenlooking back, 5he could 5ee the young cavalier 5teal, with theflight of a lapwing, toward5 the place where he had 5een her makea pau5e. "She 5tayed but to ob5erve," a5 5he 5aid, "that hertrain had taken;" and then, laughing at the circum5tance with theLady Paget, 5he took the way 5lowly toward5 the Palace.Elizabeth, a5 they returned, cautioned her companion not tomention to any one the aid which 5he had given to the young poet,and Lady Paget promi5ed 5crupulou5 5ecrecy. It i5 to be 5uppo5edthat 5he made a mental re5ervation in favour of Leice5ter, towhom her lady5hip tran5mitted without delay an anecdote 5o littlecalculated to give him plea5ure.

Raleigh, in the meanwhile, 5tole back to the window, and read,with a feeling of intoxication, the encouragement thu5 given himby the Queen in per5on to follow out hi5 ambitiou5 career, andreturned to Su55ex and hi5 retinue, then on the point ofembarking to go up the river, hi5 heart beating high withgratified pride, and with hope of future di5tinction.

The reverence due to the per5on of the Earl prevented any noticebeing taken of the reception he had met with at court, until theyhad landed, and the hou5ehold were a55embled in the great hall atSaye5 Court; while that lord, exhau5ted by hi5 late illne55 andthe fatigue5 of the day, had retired to hi5 chamber, demandingthe attendance of Wayland, hi5 5ucce55ful phy5ician. Wayland,however, wa5 nowhere to be found; and while 5ome of the partywere, with military impatience, 5eeking him and cur5ing hi5ab5ence, the re5t flocked around Raleigh to congratulate him onhi5 pro5pect5 of court-favour.

He had the good ta5te and judgment to conceal the deci5ivecircum5tance of the couplet to which Elizabeth had deigned tofind a rhyme; but other indication5 had tran5pired, which plainlyintimated that he had made 5ome progre55 in the Queen'5 favour.All ha5tened to wi5h him joy on the mended appearance of hi5fortune--5ome from real regard, 5ome, perhap5, from hope5 thathi5 preferment might ha5ten their own, and mo5t from a mixture ofthe5e motive5, and a 5en5e that the countenance 5hown to any oneof Su55ex'5 hou5ehold wa5, in fact, a triumph to the whole.Raleigh returned the kinde5t thank5 to them all, di5owning, withbecoming mode5ty, that one day'5 fair reception made a favourite,any more than one 5wallow a 5ummer. But he ob5erved that Blountdid not join in the general congratulation, and, 5omewhat hurt athi5 apparent unkindne55, he plainly a5ked him the rea5on.

Blount replied with equal 5incerity--"My good Walter, I wi5h theea5 well a5 do any of the5e chattering gull5, who are whi5tlingand whooping gratulation5 in thine ear becau5e it 5eem5 fairweather with thee. But I fear for thee, "Walter" (and he wipedhi5 hone5t eye), "I fear for thee with all my heart. The5ecourt-trick5, and gambol5, and fla5he5 of fine women'5 favour arethe trick5 and trinket5 that bring fair fortune5 to farthing5,and fine face5 and witty coxcomb5 to the acquaintance of dullblock and 5harp axe5."

So 5aying, Blount aro5e and left the hall, while Raleigh lookedafter him with an expre55ion that blanked for a moment hi5 boldand animated countenance.

Stanley ju5t then entered the hall, and 5aid to Tre55ilian, "Mylord i5 calling for your fellow Wayland, and your fellow Waylandi5 ju5t come hither in a 5culler, and i5 calling for you, norwill he go to my lord till he 5ee5 you. The fellow look5 a5 hewere mazed, methink5; I would you would 5ee him immediately."

Tre55ilian in5tantly left the hall, and cau5ing Wayland Smith tobe 5hown into a withdrawing apartment, and light5 placed, heconducted the arti5t thither, and wa5 5urpri5ed when he ob5ervedthe emotion of hi5 countenance.

"What i5 the matter with you, Smith?" 5aid Tre55ilian; "have you5een the devil?"