saw that the Queen was
present, which frightened me tenfold--His Majesty, in the most gracious
manner, came down the room to encourage me. And as I remained with my
head bent down, he told me to stand up, and look at him.

"I have seen thee before, young man," he said; "thy form is not one to be
forgotten. Where was it? Thou art most likely to know."

"May it please Your Most Gracious Majesty the King," I answered, finding
my voice in a manner which surprised myself; "it was in the Royal
Chapel."

Now I meant no harm whatever by this. I ought to have said the
"Ante-chapel," but I could not remember the word, and feared to keep the
King looking at me.

"I am well-pleased," said His Majesty, with a smile which almost made
his dark and stubborn face look pleasant, "to find that our greatest
subject, greatest I mean in the bodily form, is also a good Catholic.
Thou needest not say otherwise. The time shall be, and that right soon,
when men shall be proud of the one true faith." Here he stopped, having
gone rather far! but the gleam of his heavy eyes was such that I durst
not contradict.

"This is that great Johann Reed," said Her Majesty, coming forward,
because the King was in meditation; "for whom I have so much heard, from
the dear, dear Lorna. Ah, she is not of this black countree, she is of
the breet Italie."

I have tried to write it, as she said it: but it wants a better scholar
to express her mode of speech.

"Now, John Ridd," said the King, recovering from his thoughts about the
true Church, and thinking that his wife was not to take the lead upon
me; "thou hast done great service to the realm, and to religion. It was
good to save Earl Brandir, a loyal and Catholic nobleman; but it was
great service to catch two of the vilest bloodhounds ever laid on by
heretics. And to make them shoot one another: it was rare; it was rare,
my lad. Now ask us anything in reason; thou canst carry any honours, on
thy club, like Hercules. What is thy chief ambition, lad?"

"Well," said I, after thinking a little, and meaning to make the most
of it, for so the Queen's eyes conveyed to me; "my mother always used to
think that having been schooled at Tiverton, with thirty marks a year to
pay, I was worthy of a coat of arms. And that is what she longs for."

"A good lad! A very good lad," said the King, and he looked at the
Queen, as if almost in joke; "but what is thy condition in life?"

"I am a freeholder," I answered, in