y sake. Many men have prayed to me for life. I've refused 'em, and
slept none the worse after; but when my men, my tall, fantastical young
men beseech me on their knees for leave to die for me, it shakes
me--ah, it shakes me to the marrow of my old bones.'

Her chest sounded like a board as she hit it.

'She showed 'em all. I told 'em that this was no time for open war with
Spain. If by miracle inconceivable they prevailed against Philip's
fleet, Philip would hold me accountable. For England's sake, to save
war, I should e'en be forced (I told 'em so) to give him up their young
lives. If they failed, and again by some miracle escaped Philip's hand,
and crept back to England with their bare lives, they must lie--oh, I
told 'em all--under my sovereign displeasure. She could not know them,
see them, nor hear their names, nor stretch out a finger to save them
from the gallows, if Philip chose to ask it.

'"Be it the gallows, then," says the elder. (I could have wept, but that
my face was made for the day.)

'"Either way--any way--this venture is death, which I know you fear not.
But it is death with assured dishonour," I cried.

'"Yet our Queen will know in her heart what we have done," says the
younger.

'"Sweetheart," I said. "A queen has no heart."

'"But she is a woman, and a woman would not forget," says the elder. "We
will go!" They knelt at my feet.

'"Nay, dear lads--but here!" I said, and I opened my arms to them and I
kissed them.

'"Be ruled by me," I said. "We'll hire some ill-featured old
tarry-breeks of an admiral to watch the Graveyard, and you shall come
to Court."

'"Hire whom you please," says the elder; "we are ruled by you, body and
soul"; and the younger, who shook most when I kissed 'em, says between
his white lips, "I think you have power to make a god of a man."

'"Come to Court and be sure of it," I says.

'They shook their heads and I knew--I knew, that go they would. If I had
not kissed them--perhaps I might have prevailed.'

'Then why did you do it?' said Una. 'I don't think you knew really what
you wanted done.'

'May it please your Majesty,' the lady bowed her head low, 'this
Gloriana whom I have represented for your pleasure was a woman and a
Queen. Remember her when you come to your kingdom.'

'But did the cousins go to the Gascons' Graveyard?' said Dan, as Una
frowned.

'They went,' said the lady.

'Did they ever come back?' Una began; but--'Did they stop King Philip's