"Under your Majesty's favour," said Tressilian hastily, and in his alarm
for the consequence of the imposition practised on the Queen forgetting
in part at least his own promise to Amy, "these certificates speak not
the truth."

"How, sir!" said the Queen--"impeach my Lord of Leicester's veracity!
But you shall have a fair hearing. In our presence the meanest of
our subjects shall be heard against the proudest, and the least known
against the most favoured; therefore you shall be heard fairly, but
beware you speak not without a warrant! Take these certificates in your
own hand, look at them carefully, and say manfully if you impugn the
truth of them, and upon what evidence."

As the Queen spoke, his promise and all its consequences rushed on the
mind of the unfortunate Tressilian, and while it controlled his natural
inclination to pronounce that a falsehood which he knew from the
evidence of his senses to be untrue, gave an indecision and irresolution
to his appearance and utterance which made strongly against him in
the mind of Elizabeth, as well as of all who beheld him. He turned
the papers over and over, as if he had been an idiot, incapable of
comprehending their contents. The Queen's impatience began to become
visible. "You are a scholar, sir," she said, "and of some note, as I
have heard; yet you seem wondrous slow in reading text hand. How say
you, are these certificates true or no?"

"Madam," said Tressilian, with obvious embarrassment and hesitation,
anxious to avoid admitting evidence which he might afterwards have
reason to confute, yet equally desirous to keep his word to Amy, and to
give her, as he had promised, space to plead her own cause in her own
way--"Madam--Madam, your Grace calls on me to admit evidence which ought
to be proved valid by those who found their defence upon them."

"Why, Tressilian, thou art critical as well as poetical," said the
Queen, bending on him a brow of displeasure; "methinks these writings,
being produced in the presence of the noble Earl to whom this Castle
pertains, and his honour being appealed to as the guarantee of their
authenticity, might be evidence enough for thee. But since thou listest
to be so formal--Varney, or rather my Lord of Leicester, for the affair
becomes yours" (these words, though spoken at random, thrilled through
the Earl's marrow and bones), "what evidence have you as touching these
certificates?"

Varney hastened to reply, preventing Leicest