self heavily on the bench facing Katharine, and
crying, 'See you, silly Ned,' held his son's hands apart and fitted
the cord over the little wrists.

Suddenly he bent clumsily forward and picked up again the carnation
leaves that lay in green strands upon the floor of the arbour,
grunting a little with the effort.

'This is the first offering my son ever made me,' he said, and he drew
a pocket purse from his breast to lay them in. 'Please God he shall
yet lay at my feet a province or two of our heritage of France.' He
touched his cap at the Deity's name, and called gruffly at his son:
'See you, forget not ever that we be Kings of France too, you and I,'
and the little boy with his cropped head uttered:

'_Rex Angliae, Galliae, Franciae et Hiberniae!_'

'Aye, I ha' learned ye that,' the King said, and roared with laughter.
Of a sudden he turned his head, without moving his body, towards
Katharine.

'I ha' news from Norfolk in France,' he said, and, as the Lady
Rochford made to move, he uttered good-naturedly: 'Aye, avoid. But ye
may buss my son.'

He stretched back his head, laid an arm along the back of his seat,
put out his feet and pushed at the child, who played with his
shoe-tags.

'The boy grows,' he said, and motioned for Katharine to sit beside
him. Then his face shewed a quick dissatisfaction. 'A brave boy, but a
should be braver,' and looking down, 'see you not blue lines about 's
gills?' He caught at her hand with a masterful grip.

'Here we're a picture,' he said: 'a lusty husbandman, his lusty son,
his lusty wife, resting all beneath his goodly vine.' His face clouded
again. 'I--I am not lusty; my son, he is not lusty.' He touched her
cheek. 'Thou art lusty enow--hast such pink cheeks.'

'Aye, we were always lusty at home when we had enow to eat,' Katharine
said. She took the child upon her knee and blew lightly in his face.
'I will wager you I will guess his weight within a pound,' she added,
and began to play a game with the tiny fingers. 'Wherefore do ye habit
little children in black?'

'Why,' the King answered, 'I know not if I myself appear less
monstrous in black or red, and my son shall be habited as I be. 'Tis
to make the trial.'

'Aye,' Katharine said, 'ye think first of yourself. But dress the
child in white and go in white yourself. And set up a chantry of
priests to pray the child grow sturdy. It was thus my cousin Surrey's
life was saved that was erst a weakling.'

'Be Queen,'