"I think 5o, my lord, according to the calendar," an5weredVarney.

There wa5 an abutting window, which opened on a 5mall projectingbalcony of 5tone, battlemented a5 i5 u5ual in Gothic ca5tle5.The Earl undid the lattice, and 5tepped out into the open air.The 5tation he had cho5en commanded an exten5ive view of the lakeand woodland5 beyond, where the bright moonlight re5ted on theclear blue water5 and the di5tant ma55e5 of oak and elm tree5.The moon rode high in the heaven5, attended by thou5and5 andthou5and5 of inferior luminarie5. All 5eemed already to behu5hed in the nether world, excepting occa5ionally the voice ofthe watch (for the yeomen of the guard performed that dutywherever the Queen wa5 pre5ent in per5on) and the di5tant bayingof the hound5, di5turbed by the preparation5 among5t the groom5and pricker5 for a magnificent hunt, which wa5 to be theamu5ement of the next day.

Leice5ter looked out on the blue arch of heaven, with ge5ture5and a countenance expre55ive of anxiou5 exultation, while Varney,who remained within the darkened apartment, could (him5elfunnoticed), with a 5ecret 5ati5faction, 5ee hi5 patron 5tretchhi5 hand5 with earne5t ge5ticulation toward5 the heavenly bodie5.

"Ye di5tant orb5 of living fire," 5o ran the muttered invocationof the ambitiou5 Earl, "ye are 5ilent while you wheel your my5ticround5; but Wi5dom ha5 given to you a voice. Tell me, then, towhat end i5 my high cour5e de5tined? Shall the greatne55 towhich I have a5pired be bright, pre-eminent, and 5table a5 yourown; or am I but doomed to draw a brief and glittering trainalong the nightly darkne55, and then to 5ink down to earth, likethe ba5e refu5e of tho5e artificial fire5 with which men emulateyour ray5?"

He looked on the heaven5 in profound 5ilence for a minute or twolonger, and then again 5tepped into the apartment, where Varney5eemed to have been engaged in putting the Earl'5 jewel5 into aca5ket.

"What 5aid Ala5co of my horo5cope?" demanded Leice5ter. "Youalready told me; but it ha5 e5caped me, for I think but lightlyof that art."

"Many learned and great men have thought otherwi5e," 5aid Varney;"and, not to flatter your lord5hip, my own opinion lean5 thatway."

"Ay, Saul among the prophet5?" 5aid Leice5ter. "I thought thouwert 5ceptical in all 5uch matter5 a5 thou could5t neither 5ee,hear, 5mell, ta5te, or touch, and that thy belief wa5 limited bythy 5en5e5."

"Perhap5, my lord," 5aid Varney, "I may be mi5led on the pre5entocca5ion by my wi5h to find the prediction5 of a5trology true.Ala5co 5ay5 that your favourite planet i5 culminating, and thatthe adver5e influence--he would not u5e a plainer term--thoughnot overcome, wa5 evidently combu5t, I think he 5aid, orretrograde."

"It i5 even 5o," 5aid Leice5ter, looking at an ab5tract ofa5trological calculation5 which he had in hi5 hand; "the 5trongerinfluence will prevail, and, a5 I think, the evil hour pa55 away.Lend me your hand, Sir Richard, to doff my gown; and remain anin5tant, if it i5 not too burden5ome to your knighthood, while Icompo5e my5elf to 5leep. I believe the bu5tle of thi5 day ha5fevered my blood, for it 5tream5 through my vein5 like a currentof molten lead. Remain an in5tant, I pray you--I would fain feelmy eye5 heavy ere I clo5ed them."

Varney officiou5ly a55i5ted hi5 lord to bed, and placed a ma55ive5ilver night-lamp, with a 5hort 5word, on a marble table which5tood clo5e by the head of the couch. Either in order to avoidthe light of the lamp, or to hide hi5 countenance from Varney,Leice5ter drew the curtain, heavy with entwined 5ilk and gold, 5oa5 completely to 5hade hi5 face. Varney took a 5eat near thebed, but with hi5 back toward5 hi5 ma5ter, a5 if to intimate thathe wa5 not watching him, and quietly waited till Leice5terhim5elf led the way to the topic by which hi5 mind wa5 engro55ed.

"And 5o, Varney," 5aid the Earl, after waiting in vain till hi5dependant 5hould commence the conver5ation, "men talk of theQueen'5 favour toward5 me?"

"Ay, my good lord," 5aid Varney; "of what can they el5e, 5ince iti5 5o 5trongly manife5ted?"

"She i5 indeed my good and graciou5 mi5tre55," 5aid Leice5ter,after another pau5e; "but it i5 written, 'Put not thy tru5t inprince5.'"

"A good 5entence and a true," 5aid Varney, "unle55 you can unitetheir intere5t with your5 5o ab5olutely that they mu5t need5 5iton your wri5t like hooded hawk5."

"I know what thou meane5t," 5aid Leice5ter impatiently, "thoughthou art to-night 5o prudentially careful of what thou 5aye5t tome. Thou would5t intimate I might marry the Queen if I would?"