avourite, and the
maid of honour and her brother together; Mrs. Beatrix will present her
brother, and then!--and then, my lord bishop will pray for the result of
the interview, and his Scots clerk will say Amen! Quick, put on your hood,
Madam Beatrix; why doth not his Majesty come down? Such another chance may
not present itself for months again."

The prince was late and lazy, and indeed had all but lost that chance
through his indolence. The queen was actually about to leave the garden
just when the party reached it; the doctor, the bishop, the maid of honour
and her brother went off together in the physician's coach, and had been
gone half an hour when Colonel Esmond came to Kensington Square.

The news of this errand, on which Beatrix was gone, of course for a moment
put all thoughts of private jealousy out of Colonel Esmond's head. In half
an hour more the coach returned; the bishop descended from it first, and
gave his arm to Beatrix, who now came out. His lordship went back into the
carriage again, and the maid of honour entered the house alone. We were
all gazing at her from the upper window, trying to read from her
countenance the result of the interview from which she had just come.

She came into the drawing-room in a great tremor and very pale; she asked
for a glass of water as her mother went to meet her, and after drinking
that and putting off her hood, she began to speak:--"We may all hope for
the best," says she; "it has cost the queen a fit. Her Majesty was in her
chair in the cedar-walk accompanied only by Lady ----, when we entered by
the private wicket from the west side of the garden, and turned towards
her, the doctor following us. They waited in a side-walk hidden by the
shrubs, as we advanced towards the chair. My heart throbbed so I scarce
could speak; but my prince whispered, 'Courage, Beatrix', and marched on
with a steady step. His face was a little flushed, but he was not afraid
of the danger. He who fought so bravely at Malplaquet fears nothing."
Esmond and Castlewood looked at each other at this compliment, neither
liking the sound of it.

"The prince uncovered," Beatrix continued, "and I saw the queen turning
round to Lady Masham, as if asking who these two were. Her Majesty looked
very pale and ill, and then flushed up; the favourite made us a signal to
advance, and I went up, leading my prince by the hand, quite close to the
chair: 'Your Majesty will give my lord viscount your hand to