he hot journey faded, and the talk from
the lower tables grew louder, Ralph began to talk a little more freely.

"Yes," he said, "the crowning went well enough. The people were quiet
enough. She looked very pretty in her robes; she was in purple velvet,
and her gentlemen in scarlet. We shall have news of her soon."

Sir James looked up sharply at his son. They were all listening
intently; and even a servant behind Ralph's chair paused with a silver
jug.

"Yes," said Ralph again with a tranquil air, setting down his Venetian
glass; "God has blessed the union already."

"And the King?" asked his father, from his black velvet chair in the
centre.

There fell a deeper silence yet as that name was mentioned. Henry
dominated the imagination of his subjects to an extraordinary degree, no
less in his heavy middle-age than in the magnificent strength and
capacity of his youth.

But Ralph answered carelessly enough. He had seen the King too often.

"The King looked pleased enough; he was in his throne. He is stouter
than when I saw him last. My Lord of Canterbury did the crowning; Te
Deum was sung after, and then solemn mass. There was a dozen abbots, I
should think, and my Lords of York and London and Winchester with two or
three more. My Lord of Suffolk bore the crown."

"And the procession?" asked his father again.

"That, too, was well enough. There came four chariots after the Queen,
full of ancient old ladies, at which some of the folks laughed. And then
the rest of them."

They talked a few minutes about the coronation, Sir James asking most of
the questions and Ralph answering shortly; and presently Christopher
broke in--

"And the Lady Katharine--" he began.

"Hush, my son," said his father, glancing at Ralph, who sat perfectly
still a moment before answering.

"Chris is always eager about the wrong thing," he said evenly; "he is
late at Begham, and then asks me about the Princess Dowager. She is
still alive, if you mean that."

Lady Torridon looked from one to the other.

"And Master Cromwell?" she asked.

"Master Cromwell is well enough. He asked me to give you both his
respects. I left him at Hackney."

* * * * *

The tall southern windows of the hall, above the pargetted plaster, had
faded through glowing ruby and blue to dusk before they rose from the
table and went down and through the passage into the little parlour next
the master's chamber, where they usuall