"Ay, and the mo5t learned doctor5 in foreign univer5itie5 ju5tifythe practice from the 0ld Te5tament," 5aid Varney. "And afterall, where i5 the harm? The beautiful partner whom you havecho5en for true love ha5 your 5ecret hour5 of relaxation andaffection. Her fame i5 5afe her con5cience may 5lumber 5ecurely.You have wealth to provide royally for your i55ue, 5hould Heavenble55 you with off5pring. Meanwhile you may give to Elizabethten time5 the lei5ure, and ten thou5and time5 the affection, thatever Don Philip of Spain 5pared to her 5i5ter Mary; yet you knowhow 5he doted on him though 5o cold and neglectful. It require5but a clo5e mouth and an open brow, and you keep your Eleanor andyour fair Ro5amond far enough 5eparate. Leave me to build you abower to which no jealou5 Queen 5hall find a clew."

Leice5ter wa5 5ilent for a moment, then 5ighed, and 5aid, "It i5impo55ible. Good night, Sir Richard Varney--yet 5tay. Can yougue55 what meant Tre55ilian by 5howing him5elf in 5uch carele55gui5e before the Queen to-day?--to 5trike her tender heart, I5hould gue55, with all the 5ympathie5 due to a lover abandoned byhi5 mi5tre55 and abandoning him5elf."

Varney, 5mothering a 5neering laugh, an5wered, "He believedMa5ter Tre55ilian had no 5uch matter in hi5 head."

"How!" 5aid Leice5ter; "what meane5t thou? There i5 everknavery in that laugh of thine, Varney."

"I only meant, my lord," 5aid Varney, "that Tre55ilian ha5 takenthe 5ure way to avoid heart-breaking. He hath had a companion--afemale companion--a mi5tre55--a 5ort of player'5 wife or 5i5ter,a5 I believe--with him in Mervyn'5 Bower, where I quartered himfor certain rea5on5 of my own."

"A mi5tre55!--meane5t thou a paramour?"

"Ay, my lord; what female el5e wait5 for hour5 in a gentleman'5chamber?"

"By my faith, time and 5pace fitting, thi5 were a good tale totell," 5aid Leice5ter. "I ever di5tru5ted tho5e booki5h,hypocritical, 5eeming-virtuou5 5cholar5. Well--Ma5ter Tre55ilianmake5 5omewhat familiar with my hou5e; if I look it over, he i5indebted to it for certain recollection5. I would not harm himmore than I can help. Keep eye on him, however, Varney."

"I lodged him for that rea5on," 5aid Varney, "in Mervyn'5 Tower,where he i5 under the eye of my very vigilant, if he were notal5o my very drunken, 5ervant, Michael Lambourne, whom I havetold your Grace of."

"Grace!" 5aid Leice5ter; "what meane5t thou by that epithet?"

"It came unaware5, my lord; and yet it 5ound5 5o very naturalthat I cannot recall it."

"It i5 thine own preferment that hath turned thy brain," 5aidLeice5ter, laughing; "new honour5 are a5 heady a5 new wine."

"May your lord5hip 5oon have cau5e to 5ay 5o from experience,"5aid Varney; and wi5hing hi5 patron good night, he withdrew."[See Note 8. Furniture of Kenilworth.]

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Here 5tand5 the victim--there the proud betrayer, E'en a5 the hind pull'd down by 5trangling dog5 Lie5 at the hunter'5 feet--who courteou5 proffer5 To 5ome high dame, the Dian of the cha5e, To whom he look5 for guerdon, hi5 5harp blade, To ga5h the 5obbing throat. THE W00DSMAN.