e Lord Chamberlain nodded. "Then ask his Excellency
when next you see him, Where is Rozel? But take good counsel and keep
your ignorance from the Queen," he added. "She has no love for stupids."

"You say you are butler to the Queen? Whence came your commission?" said
the Lord Chamberlain, smiling now; for Lempriere's words and ways
were of some simple world where odd folk lived, and his boyish vanity
disarmed anger.

"By royal warrant and heritage. And of all of the Jersey Isle, I only
may have dove-totes, which is the everlasting thorn in the side of De
Carteret of St. Ouen's. Now will you let me in, my lord?" he said, all
in a breath.

At a stir behind him the Lord Chamberlain turned, and with a horrified
exclamation hurried away, for the procession from the Queen's apartments
had already entered the presence-chamber: gentlemen, barons, earls,
knights of the garter, in brave attire, with bare heads and sumptuous
calves. The Lord Chamberlain had scarce got to his place when the
Chancellor, bearing the seals in a red silk purse, entered, flanked by
two gorgeous folk with the royal sceptre and the sword of state in a red
scabbard, all flourished with fleur-de-lis. Moving in and out among them
all was the Queen's fool, who jested and shook his bells under the noses
of the highest.

It was an event of which the Seigneur of Rozel told to his dying day:
that he entered the presence-chamber of the Royal Palace of Greenwich
at the same instant as the Queen--"Rozel at one end, Elizabeth at the
other, and all the world at gaze," he was wont to say with loud guffaws.
But what he spoke of afterwards with preposterous ease and pride was
neither pride nor ease at the moment; for the Queen's eyes fell on him
as he shoved past the gentlemen who kept the door. For an instant she
stood still, regarding him intently, then turned quickly to the Lord
Chamberlain in inquiry, and with sharp reproof too in her look. The Lord
Chamberlain fell on his knee and with low uncertain voice explained the
incident.

Elizabeth again cast her eyes towards Lempriere, and the Court,
following her example, scrutinised the Seigneur in varied styles of
insolence or curiosity. Lempriere drew himself up with a slashing
attempt at composure, but ended by flaming from head to foot, his face
shining like a cock's comb, the perspiration standing out like beads
upon his forehead, his eyes gone blind with confusion. That was but for
a moment, however, and then