esty the queen," said Lady Jane, in an agitated voice, "her
majesty requests the presence of Lord Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury,
in her cabinet, in order that she may perform her devotions with him."

"Poor queen!" murmured Cranmer, as he crossed the room to go to
Catharine--"poor queen! she has just made an implacable enemy."

Lady Jane waited till Cranmer had disappeared through the door, then
hastened with eager steps to the bishop of Winchester, and dropping on
her knee, humbly said, "Grace, your highness, grace! My words were in
vain, and were not able to shake her resolution."

Gardiner raised up the kneeling maiden, and forced a smile. "It is
well," said he, "I doubt not of your zeal. You are a true handmaid of
the church, and she will love and reward you for it as a mother! It is
then decided. The queen is--"

"Is a heretic," whispered Lady Jane. "Woe to her!"

"And will you be true, and will you faithfully adhere to us?"

"True, in every thought of my being, and every drop of my heart's
blood."

"So shall we overcome Catharine Parr, as we overcame Catharine Howard.
To the block with the heretic! We found means of bringing Catharine
Howard to the scaffold; you, Lady Jane, must find the means of leading
Catharine Parr the same way."

"I will find them," said Lady Jane, quietly. "She loves and trusts me. I
will betray her friendship in order to remain true to my religion."

"Catharine Parr then is lost," said Gardiner, aloud.

"Yes, she is lost," responded Earl Douglas, who had just entered, and
caught the last words of the bishop. "Yes, she is lost, for we are
her inexorable and ever-vigilant enemies. But I deem it not altogether
prudent to utter words like these in the queen's drawing-room. Let us
therefore choose a more favorable hour. Besides, your highness, you must
betake yourself to the grand reception-hall, where the whole court
is already assembled, and now only awaits the king to go in formal
procession for the young queen, and conduct her to the balcony. Let us
go, then."

Gardiner nodded in silence, and betook himself to the reception-hall.

Earl Douglas with his daughter followed him. "Catharine Parr is lost,"
whispered he in Lady Jane's ear. "Catharine Parr is lost, and you shall
be the king's seventh wife."

Whilst this was passing in the drawing-room, the young queen was on her
knees before Cranmer, and with him sending up to God fervent prayers for
prosperity and peace. Tears fi