But it was such a likeness when I looked a second
time, as a jewelled lanthorn, lit within, bears to its vacant fellow.
And then in a moment it flashed upon me--though now he wore his
Cardinal's robes and then had been very simply dressed--that it was he
whose back I had seen, and whose dazzling thumb-ring had blinded me in
the garden near the Filles Dieu.

The thought had scarcely grown to a conviction before he passed by me,
apologizing almost humbly to those whom he displaced, and courteously to
all; and this, and perhaps also the fact that the mass of those present
belonged to my patron's party--who in the streets had the nick-name of
"The Importants"--so that they were not quick to make room for him,
rendered his progress so slow that, my name being called and everybody
hustling me forward, I came face to face with the Queen almost at the
moment that he did. And so I saw--though for a while I was too much
excited to understand--what passed.

Her Majesty, it seemed to me, did not look unkindly upon him. On the
contrary. But my lord of Beauvais was so full of his success, and so
uplifted by the presence of his many friends, that he had a mind to make
the most of his triumph and even to flaunt it in his rival's face. "Ha,
the Cardinal!" he cried; and before the Queen could speak, "I hope,"
with a bow and a simper, "that your Eminence has been as zealous in her
Majesty's service as I have been."

"As zealous, assuredly," the Cardinal replied meekly. "For my zeal I can
answer. But as effective? Alas, it is not given to all to vie with your
Lordship in affairs."

This answer--though I detected no smack of irony in the tone--did not
seem to please the Queen. "The Bishop has done me a great service. He
has recovered my dog," she said tartly.

"He is a happy man, and the happy must look to be envied," the Cardinal
answered glibly. "Your Majesty's dog----"

"Your Eminence never liked Flore!" the Queen exclaimed with feeling. And
she tossed her head, as I have seen quite common women do it in the
street.

"You do me a very great wrong, Madam!" the Cardinal answered, with the
look of a man much hurt. "If the dog were here--but it is not, I think."

"Your Eminence is for once at a loss!" the Bishop said, with a sneer;
and at a word from him one of the ladies came forward, nursing the dog
in her arms.

The Cardinal looked. "Umph," he said. He looked again, frowning.

I did not know then that, whether the Queen liked