ee, silly wench?" said Elizabeth; "for
being the daughter of thine own father? Thou art brain-sick, surely.
Well I see I must wring the story from thee by inches. Thou didst
deceive thine old and honoured father--thy look confesses it--cheated
Master Tressilian--thy blush avouches it--and married this same Varney."

Amy sprung on her feet, and interrupted the Queen eagerly with, "No,
madam, no! as there is a God above us, I am not the sordid wretch you
would make me! I am not the wife of that contemptible slave--of that
most deliberate villain! I am not the wife of Varney! I would rather be
the bride of Destruction!"

The Queen, overwhelmed in her turn by Amy's vehemence, stood silent for
an instant, and then replied, "Why, God ha' mercy, woman! I see thou
canst talk fast enough when the theme likes thee. Nay, tell me, woman,"
she continued, for to the impulse of curiosity was now added that of an
undefined jealousy that some deception had been practised on her--"tell
me, woman--for, by God's day, I WILL know--whose wife, or whose
paramour, art thou! Speak out, and be speedy. Thou wert better daily
with a lioness than with Elizabeth."

Urged to this extremity, dragged as it were by irresistible force to the
verge of the precipice which she saw, but could not avoid--permitted
not a moment's respite by the eager words and menacing gestures of the
offended Queen, Amy at length uttered in despair, "The Earl of Leicester
knows it all."

"The Earl of Leicester!" said Elizabeth, in utter astonishment. "The
Earl of Leicester!" she repeated with kindling anger. "Woman, thou art
set on to this--thou dost belie him--he takes no keep of such things
as thou art. Thou art suborned to slander the noblest lord and the
truest-hearted gentleman in England! But were he the right hand of our
trust, or something yet dearer to us, thou shalt have thy hearing, and
that in his presence. Come with me--come with me instantly!"

As Amy shrunk back with terror, which the incensed Queen interpreted as
that of conscious guilt, Elizabeth rapidly advanced, seized on her arm,
and hastened with swift and long steps out of the grotto, and along
the principal alley of the Pleasance, dragging with her the terrified
Countess, whom she still held by the arm, and whose utmost exertions
could but just keep pace with those of the indignant Queen.

Leicester was at this moment the centre of a splendid group of lords and
ladies, assembled together under an