, Elizabeth's look being slowly withdrawn
from him, a curious smile came to her lips, and she said to the Lord
Chamberlain: "Let the gentleman remain."

The Queen's fool tripped forward and tapped the Lord Chamberlain on the
shoulder. "Let the gentleman remain, gossip, and see you that remaining
he goeth not like a fly with his feet in the porridge." With a flippant
step before the Seigneur, he shook his bells at him. "Thou shalt stay,
Nuncio, and staying speak the truth. So doing you shall be as noted as
a comet with three tails. You shall prove that man was made in God's
image. So lift thy head and sneeze--sneezing is the fashion here; but
see that thou sneeze not thy head off as they do in Tartary. 'Tis worth
remembrance."

Rozel's self-importance and pride had returned. The blood came back
to his heart, and he threw out his chest grandly; he even turned to
Buonespoir, whose great figure might be seen beyond the door, and winked
at him. For a moment he had time to note the doings of the Queen and
her courtiers with wide-eyed curiosity. He saw the Earl of Leicester,
exquisite, haughty, gallant, fall upon his knee, and Elizabeth slowly
pull off her glove and with a none too gracious look give him her hand
to kiss, the only favour of the kind granted that day. He saw Cecil, her
Minister, introduce a foreign noble, who presented his letters. He
heard the Queen speak in a half-dozen different languages, to people of
various lands, and he was smitten with amazement.

But as Elizabeth came slowly down the hall, her white silk gown fronted
with great pearls flashing back the light, a marchioness bearing the
train, the crown on her head glittering as she turned from right to
left, her wonderful collar of jewels sparkling on her uncovered bosom,
suddenly the mantle of black, silver-shotted silk upon her shoulders
became to Lempriere's heated senses a judge's robe, and Elizabeth the
august judge of the world. His eyes blinded again, for it was as if she
was bearing down upon him. Certainly she was looking at him now, scarce
heeding the courtiers who fell to their knees on either side as she came
on. The red doublets of the fifty Gentlemen Pensioners--all men of
noble families proud to do this humble yet distinguished service--with
battle-axes, on either side of her, seemed to Lempriere on the instant
like an army with banners threatening him. From the ante-chapel behind
him came the cry of the faithful subjects who, as the ge