ving most contributed to form the
Englishman of her own time, who unquestionably derived from each of them
some worthy attribute of his character. Thus," she said, "the Englishman
had from the ancient Briton his bold and tameless spirit of freedom;
from the Roman his disciplined courage in war, with his love of letters
and civilization in time of peace; from the Saxon his wise and equitable
laws; and from the chivalrous Norman his love of honour and courtesy,
with his generous desire for glory."

Merlin answered with readiness that it did indeed require that so many
choice qualities should meet in the English, as might render them in
some measure the muster of the perfections of other nations, since that
alone could render them in some degree deserving of the blessings they
enjoyed under the reign of England's Elizabeth.

The music then sounded, and the quadrilles, together with Merlin and his
assistants, had begun to remove from the crowded hall, when Leicester,
who was, as we have mentioned, stationed for the moment near the bottom
of the hall, and consequently engaged in some degree in the crowd, felt
himself pulled by the cloak, while a voice whispered in his ear, "My
Lord, I do desire some instant conference with you."

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

How is't with me, when every noise appals me? --MACBETH.

"I desire some conference with you." The words were simple in
themselves, but Lord Leicester was in that alarmed and feverish state
of mind when the most ordinary occurrences seem fraught with alarming
import; and he turned hastily round to survey the person by whom
they had been spoken. There was nothing remarkable in the speaker's
appearance, which consisted of a black silk doublet and short mantle,
with a black vizard on his face; for it appeared he had been among the
crowd of masks who had thronged into the hall in the retinue of Merlin,
though he did not wear any of the extravagant disguises by which most of
them were distinguished.

"Who are you, or what do you want with me?" said Leicester, not without
betraying, by his accents, the hurried state of his spirits.

"No evil, my lord," answered the mask, "but much good and honour, if
you will rightly understand my purpose. But I must speak with you more
privately."

"I can speak with no nameless stranger," answered Leicester, dreading he
knew not precisely what from the request of the stranger; "and those
who are known to me must seek another and