issiere reported her at Greenwich
only five days back, and it would take her Majesty a far longer time to
make her progress than yonder fellow, who will tell you himself that
she had no thoughts of moving."

"That might only be a feint to be the more sudden with us," said his
wife, actuated in part by the diversion of alarming her father-in-law,
and in part really fired by the hope of such an effectual enlivenment
of the dulness of Sheffield.

They were all in full family conclave drawn up in the hall for the
reception, and Mistress Susan, who could not bear to see the Earl so
perplexed and anxious, ventured to say that she was quite sure that my
Lady Countess would have sent warning forward if indeed she were
bringing home such a guest, and at that moment the blare of trumpets
announced that the cavalcade was approaching. The start which the Earl
gave showed how much his nerves had become affected by his years of
custody. Up the long avenue they came, with all the state with which
the Earl had conducted Queen Mary to the lodge before she was
absolutely termed a prisoner. Halberdiers led the procession, horse
and foot seemed to form it. The home party stood on the top of the
steps watching with much anxiety. There was a closed litter visible,
beside which Lady Shrewsbury, in a mourning dress and hood, could be
seen riding her favourite bay palfrey. No doubt it contained the Lady
Margaret, Countess of Lennox; and the unfortunate Earl, forgetting all
his stately dignity, stood uneasily moving from leg to leg, and pulling
his long beard, torn between the instincts of hospitality and of loyal
obedience, between fear of his wife and fear of the Queen.

The litter halted at the foot of the steps, the Earl descended. All he
saw was the round face of an infant in its nurse's arms, and he turned
to help his wife from the saddle, but she waved him aside. "My son
Gilbert will aid me, my Lord," said she, "your devoir is to the
princess."

Poor Lord Shrewsbury, his apologies on his tongue, looked into the
litter, where he saw the well-known and withered countenance of the
family nurse. He also beheld a buxom young female, whose dress marked
her as a peasant, but before he had time to seek further for the
princess, the tightly rolled chrysalis of a child was thrust into his
astonished arms, while the round face puckered up instantly with terror
at sight of his bearded countenance, and he was greeted with a loud
yell. He