ey
reached Saint Katherine by the Tower. A crowd of people were already
there. They took up their places by the church, whence they could see
the river; and they had not been there two minutes, ere they heard a
sound of cheering from the watermen below; and presently the royal barge
of England glided into sight. At the bow played the standard of the
realm; and about the cloth of estate were several ladies and gentlemen,
all clad in mourning, surrounding a lady who sat under the canopy. This
was all that could be seen till the barge stopped at the Tower-stairs.
Then from it (a blue cloth being first laid to the gate) came the Duke
of Northumberland, robed in a long, black gown trimmed with fox, leading
a fair, slender girl also in mourning, and Frances, Duchess of Suffolk
[Note 3], bore her train. After them came the Duke of Suffolk, the Earl
of Arundel, a slim comely youth unknown to the crowd, and Lord Grey de
Wilton. And the minute after, from the crowd thronging the postern, Mr
Ive, the High Constable (Mr Underhill's friend and neighbour at the Lime
Hurst), made his way to our little group.

"Ah! how do you?" said he. "You are in fair time to see our new Queen."

"I pray you, Mr Ive," said Isoult, "is yonder damsel her Highness, that
my Lord's Grace of Northumberland hath by the hand?"

"Even so," replied he; "and yonder young gentleman that followeth is her
husband, the Lord Guilford Dudley."

Very earnestly they looked then on the face of their new Sovereign. A
soft, gentle face, fair and clear complexion, brown hair, and meek,
thoughtful brown eyes; and eyes that had shed tears but very lately.
But Northumberland bore himself proudly, as though he felt himself a
King already. And very few voices said "God save Queen Jane!" Isoult
did hear a few, but few they were.

In the evening, throughout the City, and without the gates, was the new
Queen proclaimed. It was now known that the King had died on the
Thursday previous, and that Northumberland had kept the matter secret,
until he thought Jane's succession ensured. And by letters patent,
dated the 21st of June, King Edward had bequeathed the realm to the
heirs-male of his cousin the Lady Frances, Duchess of Suffolk; and
should she have no heirs-male before his death, the reversion was to
pass to her eldest daughter, the Lady Jane Dudley, now Queen; and for
lack of her issue, to her cousin Lady Margaret Clifford. The sisters of
Jane were passed over,