he king. "Take and see for yourself, my husband," said
she.

With hurried hand the king opened the paper, and then looked in utter
astonishment, now at its contents, and now at the blushing face of the
queen.

"What!" said he, "you give me a pawn from the chess-board! What does
that mean?"

"That means," said she, in a tone of utter contrition--"that means, that
I stole it from you, and thereby cheated you out of your victory. Oh,
pardon me, my husband! but I could no longer endure to lose always, and
I was afraid you would no more allow me the pleasure of playing with
you, when you perceived what a weak and contemptible antagonist I am.
And behold, this little pawn was my enemy! It stood near my queen and
threatened her with check, while it discovered check to my king from
your bishop. You were just going to make this move, which was to ruin
me, when Bishop Gardiner entered. You turned away your eyes and saluted
him. You were not looking on the game. Oh, my lord and husband, the
temptation was too alluring and seductive; and I yielded to it. Softly
I took the pawn from the board, and slipped it into my pocket. When
you looked again at the game, you seemed surprised at first; but your
magnanimous and lofty spirit had no suspicion of my base act; so you
innocently played on; and so I won the game of chess. Oh, my king, will
you pardon me, and not be angry with me?" The king broke out into a loud
laugh, and looked with an expression of tenderness at Catharine, who
stood before him with downcast eyes, abashed and blushing. This sight
only redoubled his merriment, and made him again and again roar out with
laughter.

"And is that all your crime, Kate?" asked he, at length, drying his
eyes. "You have stolen a pawn from me--this is your first and only
deception?"

"Is it not indeed great enough, sire? Did I not purloin it because I was
so high-minded as to want to win a game of chess from you? Is not the
whole court even now acquainted with my splendid luck? And does it not
know that I have been the victor to-day, whilst yet I was not entitled
to be so--whilst I deceived you so shamefully?"

"Now, verily," said the king, solemnly, "happy are the men who are not
worse deceived by their wives than you have deceived me to-day; and
happy are the women whose confessions are so pure and innocent as yours
have been to-day! Do but lift up your eyes again, my Katie; that sin is
forgiven you; and by God and by your king it shal