His Majesty had rubbed his hands,
and ordered the boots of a stricter pattern (which he himself had
invented) to be brought at once, that he might have them in the best
possible order. And he oiled them himself, and expressed his fear that
there was no man in London quite competent to work them. Nevertheless
he would try one or two, rather than wait for his pleasure, till the
torturer came from Edinburgh.

The next thing he did was to send for me; and in great alarm and flurry
I put on my best clothes, and hired a fashionable hairdresser, and drank
half a gallon of ale, because both my hands were shaking. Then forth I
set, with my holly staff, wishing myself well out of it. I was shown at
once, and before I desired it, into His Majesty's presence, and there I
stood most humbly, and made the best bow I could think of.

As I could not advance any farther--for I 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