kiss,' says
her lady, and the queen put out her hand, which the prince kissed,
kneeling on his knee, he who should kneel to no mortal man or woman.

" 'You have been long from England, my lord,' says the queen: 'why were
you not here to give a home to your mother and sister?'

" 'I am come, madam, to stay now, if the queen desires me,' says the
prince, with another low bow.

" 'You have taken a foreign wife, my lord, and a foreign religion; was not
that of England good enough for you?'

" 'In returning to my father's Church,' says the prince, 'I do not love my
mother the less, nor am I the less faithful servant of your Majesty.'

"Here," says Beatrix, "the favourite gave me a little signal with her hand
to fall back, which I did, though I died to hear what should pass; and
whispered something to the queen, which made her Majesty start and utter
one or two words in a hurried manner, looking towards the prince, and
catching hold with her hand of the arm of her chair. He advanced still
nearer towards it; he began to speak very rapidly; I caught the words,
'Father, blessing, forgiveness,'--and then presently the prince fell on his
knees; took from his breast a paper he had there, handed it to the queen,
who, as soon as she saw it, flung up both her arms with a scream, and took
away that hand nearest the prince, and which he endeavoured to kiss. He
went on speaking with great animation of gesture, now clasping his hands
together on his heart, now opening them as though to say: 'I am here, your
brother, in your power.' Lady Masham ran round on the other side of the
chair, kneeling too, and speaking with great energy. She clasped the
queen's hand on her side, and picked up the paper her Majesty had let
fall. The prince rose and made a further speech as though he would go; the
favourite on the other hand urging her mistress, and then, running back to
the prince, brought him back once more close to the chair. Again he knelt
down and took the queen's hand, which she did not withdraw, kissing it a
hundred times; my lady all the time, with sobs and supplications, speaking
over the chair. This while the queen sat with a stupefied look, crumpling
the paper with one hand, as my prince embraced the other; then of a sudden
she uttered several piercing shrieks, and burst into a great fit of
hysteric tears and laughter. 'Enough, enough, sir, for this time,' I heard
Lady Masham say; and the chairman, who had withdrawn round the
banque