ever ask,' said Una. 'Hobden's a particular friend of ours.'

'Hoity-toity!' the lady began angrily. Then she laughed. 'But I forget.
It is your Kingdom. I knew a maid once that had a larger one than this
to defend, and so long as her men kept the fences stopped, she asked 'em
no questions either.'

'Was she trying to grow flowers?' said Una.

'No, trees--perdurable trees. Her flowers all withered.' The lady leaned
her head on her hand.

'They do if you don't look after them. We've got a few. Would you like
to see? I'll fetch you some.' Una ran off to the rank grass in the shade
behind the wigwam, and came back with a handful of red flowers. 'Aren't
they pretty?' she said. 'They're Virginia stock.'

'Virginia?' said the lady, and lifted them to the fringe of her mask.

'Yes. They come from Virginia. Did your maid ever plant any?'

'Not herself--but her men adventured all over the earth to pluck or to
plant flowers for her crown. They judged her worthy of them.'

'And was she?' said Dan cheerfully.

'_Quien sabe?_ (who knows?) But at least, while her men toiled abroad
she toiled in England, that they might find a safe home to come back
to.'

'And what was she called?'

'Gloriana--Belphoebe--Elizabeth of England.' Her voice changed at each
word.

'You mean Queen Bess?' The lady bowed her head a little towards Dan.

'You name her lightly enough, young Burleigh. What might you know of
her?' said she.

'Well, I--I've seen the little green shoes she left at Brickwall
House--down the road, you know. They're in a glass case--awfully tiny
things.'

'Oh, Burleigh, Burleigh!' she laughed. 'You are a courtier too soon.'

'But they are,' Dan insisted. 'As little as dolls' shoes. Did you really
know her well?'

'Well. She was a--woman. I've been at her Court all my life. Yes, I
remember when she danced after the banquet at Brickwall. They say she
danced Philip of Spain out of a brand-new kingdom that day. Worth the
price of a pair of old shoes--hey?'

She thrust out one foot, and stooped forward to look at its broad
flashing buckle.

'You've heard of Philip of Spain--long-suffering Philip,' she said, her
eyes still on the shining stones. 'Faith, what some men will endure at
some women's hands passes belief! If _I_ had been a man, and a woman had
played with me as Elizabeth played with Philip, I would have----' She
nipped off one of the Virginia stocks and held it up between finger and
thumb. 'But for all that