outh of gentle blood.

And weeks went by, and still his father and mother had not come, and he
had learned a little Greek and more Latin, could carve a box with the
arms of his house on the lid, and make that lid fit; could bow like a
courtier and speak like a gentleman, and play a simple air on the viol
that hung in the parlor for guests to amuse themselves with while they
waited to see the master or mistress.

And then came the day when old nurse dressed him in his best--a suit of
cut velvet, purple slashed with gold-color, and a belt with a little
sword to it, and a flat cap--and Master Henry, the games-master, took
him in a little boat to a gilded galley full of gentlemen and ladies all
finely dressed, who kissed him and made much of him and said how he was
grown since the fever. And one gentleman, very fine indeed, appeared to
be his uncle, and a most charming lady in blue and silver seemed to be
his aunt, and a very jolly little boy and girl who sat by him and talked
merrily all the while were his little cousins. Cups of wine and silver
dishes of fruit and cakes were handed round: the galley was decked with
fresh flowers, and from another boat quite near came the sound of music.
The sun shone overhead and the clear river sparkled and more and more
boats, all gilded and flower-wreathed, appeared on the water. Then there
was a sound of shouting, the river suddenly grew alive with the glitter
of drawn swords, the butterfly glitter of ladies waved scarves and
handkerchiefs, and a great gilded barge came slowly down-stream,
followed by a procession of smaller craft. Every one in the galley stood
up: the gentlemen saluted with their drawn swords, the ladies fluttered
their scarves.

[Illustration: "THE GALLEY WAS DECKED WITH FRESH FLOWERS"

[_Page 102_]

"His Majesty and the Queen," the little cousins whispered as the State
Barge went by.

Then all the galleys fell into place behind the King's barge, and the
long, beautiful procession went slowly on down the river.

Dickie was very happy. The little cousins were so friendly and jolly,
the grown-up people so kind--everything so beautiful and so clean. It
was a perfect day.

The river was very beautiful; it ran between banks of willows and alders
where loosestrife and meadowsweet and willow-herb and yarrow grew tall
and thick. There were water-lilies in shady back-waters, and beautiful
gardens sloping down to the water.

At last the boats came to a pretty littl