st have met her."

"Do thou go, Hazel dear, and when thou hast found her, tell her that I
wish to speak to her."

Hazel courtesied, I bowed, and we passed on, searching for Mary and
Harleston.

"The Queen is the best mistress that any servant could wish for," said
Hazel, when we had gone a few paces. "She is never angry, and so kind;
she treats both Mary and me as though we were her own daughters."

I did not wonder that the Queen did use them both go well; for who
could help loving either of those dear, dainty maidens?

We had not gone far ere we met Mary and Harleston returning.

"They seem to be getting on famously," observed Hazel; "for they are so
preoccupied that they do not see us coming."

When they came near, Mary, who had evidently been listening with great
attention to something that Harleston was telling to her, burst forth
into her rippling, childlike laugh. Then, as she caught sight of us,
she stopped suddenly and said:--

"Oh, here they come now!" Then, as we met them:--"We thought that ye
must have turned back; so we were just coming to search for you."

"And what has Sir Frederick been telling thee that was so amusing?" I
asked.

"Oh!" replied Harleston, "the Lady Mary hath been completing mine
education, which thou, Sir Walter, didst start last night, and then I,
in order to, in some small way, repay part of the debt, was telling her
some of the stories that I had heard in France, where indeed they are
most expert in story-telling, though not so accomplished with regard to
the truth."

Here Hazel delivered the Queen's message, and we all started back to
the Palace, laughing and chattering, like nothing more than school
children. Upon reaching the castle I found some orders from Duke
Richard, the fulfillment of which did keep me busy for the remainder of
the day.

The next few days, Harleston and I spent in making ready for the march;
so we did not see much of the ladies. However, the morning before we
left Windsor, we met them in the park, whither we had gone in search of
them. When they beheld us, they came forward to meet us, and methought
that Hazel did not look as happy as was her wont; but it may have been
that I was hoping to see her look sorrowful, and therefore, I did
imagine it.

"We have come to receive the benediction," said Sir Frederick.

"And also a charm that will give unto us both charmed lives," I
laughingly put in.

"Indeed thou needst not to laugh, Walter,"