Lord, that it has lost its accomplishments--in your
company!" the Cardinal said, a faint smile curling his lips.

The Bishop dropped a smothered oath. "It _is_ the dog!" he cried
vehemently.

But the Queen turned to him sharply, her face crimson.

"I do not agree with you!" she replied. "It is like the dog, but it is
not the dog. And more, my Lord," she continued, with vehemence equal to
his own, "I should be glad if you would explain how you came into
possession of this dog. A dog so nearly resembling my dog--and yet not
my dog--could not be found in a moment nor without some foul
contrivance."

"It has forgotten its tricks," the Bishop said.

"Nonsense!" the Queen retorted.

A great many faces had grown grave by this time; I have said that the
room was filled for the most part with the Bishop's supporters. "At any
rate I know nothing about it!" he exclaimed, wiping his brow and
pointing to me. "I offered a reward, and that knave there found the
dog." Between anger and discomfiture he stammered.

"One of my Lord's servants, I think," the Cardinal said easily.

"Oh!" the Queen answered, with a world of meaning; and she looked at me
with eyes before which I quailed. "Is that true, fellow!" she said. "Are
you in my Lord's service?"

I stammered an affirmative.

"Then I wish to hear no more," she replied haughtily. "No, my Lord.
Enough!" she continued, raising her voice to drown his protestations. "I
do not care to know whether you were more sinned against than sinning;
or a greater fool than your creature is a knave. Pray take your animal
away. Doubtless in a very short time I should have discovered the cheat
for myself. I think I see a difference now. I am sure I do. But, as it
is, I am greatly indebted to his Eminence for his aid--and his
sagacity."

She brought out the last word with withering emphasis, and amid profound
silence. The Bishop, staggered and puzzled, but too wise to persist
longer in the dog's identity, still tried desperately to utter some word
of excuse; but the Queen, whose vanity had received a serious
wound--since she had not at once known her own pet--cut him short with a
curt and freezing dismissal, and immediately turning to the Cardinal,
she requested him to introduce to her the officers who had the colours
in charge.

It may be imagined how I felt, and what terrors I experienced during
this struggle; since it required no great wit to infer that the Bishop,
if defeated, would wrea