God and the
knowledge of the truth."

"You mistake, my lord," replied the queen gently, "if you have believed
that I have grown up careless in the faith of my fathers, and without
seriously occupying myself with a matter so important as religion.
I have, on the contrary, spent my life with learned and wise men who
taught me what one must learn on this subject, and I have sustained
myself by reading their works, since the means of hearing them has been
taken from me. Besides, never having doubted in my lifetime, doubt
is not likely to seize me in my death-hour. And there is the Earl of
Shrewsbury, here present, who will tell you that, since my arrival
in England, I have, for an entire Lent, of which I repent, heard your
wisest doctors, without their arguments having made any impression on my
mind. It will be useless, then, my lord," she added, smiling, "to summon
to one so hardened as I the Dean of Peterborough, learned as he is.
The only thing I ask you in exchange, my lord, and for which I shall be
grateful to you beyond expression, is that you will send me my almoner,
whom you keep shut up in this house, to console me and prepare me for
death, or, in his stead, another priest, be he who he may; if only a
poor priest from a poor village, I being no harder to please than God,
and not asking that he have knowledge, provided that he has faith."

"It is with regret, madam," replied the Earl of Kent, "that I find
myself obliged to refuse your Grace's, request; but it would be contrary
to our religion and our conscience, and we should be culpable in doing
it; this is why we again offer you the venerable Dean of Peterborough,
certain that your Grace will find more consolation and content in him
than in any bishop, priest, or vicar of the Catholic faith."

"Thank you, my lord," said the queen again, "but I have nothing to-do
with him, and as I have a conscience free of the crime for which I
am about to die, with God's help, martyrdom will take the place of
confession for me. And now, I will remind you, my lord, of what you told
me yourself, that I have but a few hours to live; and these few hours,
to profit me, should be passed in prayer and meditation, and not in idle
disputes."

With these words, she rose, and, bowing to the earls, Sir Robert Beale,
Amyas, and Drury, she indicated, by a gesture full of dignity, that she
wished to be alone and in peace; then, as they prepared to go out--

"Apropos, my lords," said she,