s thine,
Leicester. Ah, Leicester would have at him now!" she added sharply, as
she saw the favourite spur forward before the gallant Lee. "He is full
of choler--it becomes him, but it shall not be; bravery is not all. And
if he failed"--she smiled acidly--"he would get him home to Kenilworth
and show himself no more--if he failed, and the White Knight failed not!
What think you, dove?" she cried to the Duke's Daughter. "Would he not
fall in the megrims for that England's honour had been over thrown?
Leicester could not live if England's honour should be toppled down like
our dear Chris Hatton and his gallants yonder."

The Duke's Daughter curtsied. "Methinks England's honour is in little
peril--your Majesty knows well how to 'fend it. No subject keeps it."

"If I must 'fend it, dove, then Leicester there must not fight to-day.
It shall surely be Sir Harry Lee. My Lord Leicester must have the place
of honour at the last," she called aloud. Leicester swung his horse
round and galloped to the Queen.

"Your Majesty," he cried in suppressed anger, "must I give place?"

"When all have failed and Leicester has won, then all yield place to
Leicester," said the Queen drily. The look on his face was not good to
see, but he saluted gravely and rode away to watch the encounter between
the most gallant Knight Tilter in England and the stranger. Rage was in
his heart, and it blinded him to the certainty of his defeat, for he
was not expert in the lists. But by a sure instinct he had guessed the
identity of the White Horseman, and every nerve quivered with desire
to meet him in combat. Last night's good work seemed to have gone for
naught. Elizabeth's humour had changed; and to-day she seemed set on
humiliating him before the nobles who hated him, before the people who
had found in him the cause why the Queen had not married, so giving no
heir to the throne. Perturbed and charged with anger as he was, however,
the combat now forward soon chained his attention. Not in many a
year had there been seen in England such a display of skill and
determination. The veteran Knight Tilter, who knew that the result of
this business meant more than life to him, and that more than the honour
of his comrades was at stake--even the valour of England which had been
challenged--fought as he had never fought before, as no man had fought
in England for many a year. At first the people cried aloud their
encouragement; but as onset and attack after onse