," said the duchess, smiling, "I was only waiting for my cue."

"And this cue is--"

"Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey! As your majesty knows, I am a merry and
harmless woman; and I understand better how to laugh and joke than to
talk much seriously. The two noble and fair ladies have accused the
duke, my father; and they have done so in a very dignified and solemn
manner. I wish to accuse my brother, Henry Howard; but you must exercise
forbearance, if my words sound less solemn and elevated. They have told
you, sire, that the Duke of Norfolk is a traitor and a criminal who
denominates the Pope of Rome, and not you, my exalted king, the head of
the Church. Now, the Earl of Surrey is neither a traitor nor a papist;
and he has neither devised criminal plots against the throne of England,
nor has he denied the supremacy of the king. No, sire, the Earl of
Surrey is no traitor and no papist!"

The duchess paused, and looked with a malicious and droll smile into the
astonished faces of those present.

A dark frown gathered on the king's brow, and his eyes, which just
before had looked so cheerful, were now fixed with an angry expression
on the young duchess.

"Why, then, my lady, have you made your appearance here?" asked he.
"Why have you come here, if you have nothing further to say than what I
already know--that the Earl of Surrey is a very loyal subject, and a
man without any ambition, who neither courts the favor of my people nor
thinks of laying his traitorous hands on my crown?"

The young duchess shook her head with a smile. "I know not whether he
does all that," said she. "I have indeed heard that he said, with bitter
scorn, that you, my king, wanted to be the protector of religion, yet
you yourself were entirely without religion and without belief. Also, he
of late broke out into bitter curses against you, because you had robbed
him of his field-marshal's staff, and given it to Earl Hertford, that
noble Seymour. Also, he meant to see whether the throne of England were
so firm and steady that it had no need of his hand and his arm to prop
it. All that I have of course heard from him; but you are right, sire,
it is unimportant--it is not worth mentioning, and therefore I do not
even make it as an accusation against him."

"Ah, you are always a mad little witch, Rosabella!" cried the king, who
had regained his cheerfulness. "You say you will not accuse him, and yet
you make his head a plaything that you poise upon y