, has anyone lost a ring? Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Lost, in the
forest, within the last three days, a ring!"

Two or three, falling in with his humour, set up absurd claims to it;
but none could describe the ring, and in the end he handed it to the
Queen. As he did so his eyes met mine and challenged my attention. I
was prepared, therefore, for the cry of surprise which broke from the
Queen.

"Why, this is Caterina's!" she cried. "Where is the child?"

Someone pushed forward Mademoiselle Paleotti, sister-in-law to Madame
Paleotti, the Queen's first chamberwoman. She was barely out of her
teens, and, ordinarily, was a pretty girl; but the moment I saw her
dead-white face, framed in a circle of fluttering fans and pitiless,
sparkling eyes, I discerned tragedy in the farce; and that M. de
Bassompierre was acting in a drama to which only he and one other held
the key. The contrast between the girl's blanched face and the beauty
and glitter in the midst of which she stood struck others, so that,
before another word was said, I caught the gasp of surprise that passed
through the room; nor was I the only one who drew nearer.

"Why, girl," the Queen said, "this is the ring I gave you on my
birthday! When did you lose it? And why have you made a secret of it?"

Mademoiselle stood speechless; but madame her sister-in-law answered
for her. "Doubtless she was afraid that your Majesty would think her
careless," she answered.

"I did not ask you!" the Queen rejoined.

She spoke harshly and suspiciously, looking from the ring to the
trembling girl. The silence was such that the chatter of the pages in
the anteroom could be heard. Still Mademoiselle stood dumb and
confounded.

"Well, what is the mystery?" the Queen said, looking round with a
little wonder. "What is the matter? It IS the ring. Why do you not
own it?"

"Perhaps mademoiselle is wondering where are the other things she left
with it!" Bassompierre said in a silky tone. "The things she left at
Parlot the verderer's, when she dropped the ring. But she may free her
mind; I have them here."

"What do you mean?" the Queen said. "What things, monsieur? What has
the girl been doing?"

"Only what many have done before her," Bassompierre answered, bowing to
his unfortunate victim, who seemed to be paralysed by terror:
"masquerading in other people's clothes. I propose, madame, that, for
punishment, you order her to dress in them, that we may see what