perhaps
in these private moments it had not been worth while to enhance it;
though there was no carelessness in the general attire, the black
velvet gown, and delicate lace of the cap, and open ruff always
characteristic of her. The small curls of hair at her temples had
their auburn tint softened by far more white than suited one who was
only just over forty, but the delicate pencilling of the eyebrows was
as marked as ever; and the eyes, on whose colour no one ever agreed,
melted and sparkled as of old. Cis had heard debates as to their hue,
and furtively tried to form her own opinion, but could not decide on
anything but that they had a dark effect, and a wonderful power of
expression, seeming to look at every one at once, and to rebuke,
encourage, plead, or smile, from moment to moment. The slight cast in
one of them really added to their force of expression rather than
detracted from their beauty, and the delicate lips were ready to second
the glances with wondrous smiles. Cis had not felt the magic of her
mere presence five minutes without being convinced that Antony
Babington was right; the Lord Treasurer and all the rest utterly wrong,
and that she beheld the most innocent and persecuted of princesses.

Meantime, all due formalities having been gone through, Lord Shrewsbury
bowed himself out backwards with a dexterity that Cis breathlessly
admired in one so stately and so stiff, forgetting that he had daily
practice in the art. Then Queen Mary courteously entreated her
visitors to be seated, near herself, asking with a smile if this were
not the little maiden who had queened it so prettily in the brake some
few years since. Cis blushed and drew back her head with a pretty
gesture of dignified shyness as Susan made answer for her that she was
the same.

"I should have known it," said the Queen, smiling, "by the port of her
head alone. 'Tis strange," she said, musing, "that maiden hath the
bearing of head and neck that I have never seen save in my own mother,
the saints rest her soul, and in her sisters, and which we always held
to be their inheritance from the blood of Charlemagne."

"Your grace does her too much honour," Susan contrived to say, thankful
that no less remote resemblance had been detected.

"It was a sad farce when they tried to repeat your pretty comedy with
the chief performer omitted," proceeded the Queen, directing her words
to the girl, but the mother replied for her.

"Your Grace