ish of apples, and a large loaf of bread,
completed the meal; at which the Queen and Cicely, accustomed daily to
a first table of sixteen dishes and a second of nine, compounded by her
Grace's own French cooks and pantlers, looked with a certain amused
dismay, as Sir Walter, standing by the table, produced a dagger from a
sheath at his belt, and took up with it first a mouthful of the
pudding, then cut off a corner of the beef, finished off some of the
bread, and having swallowed these, as well as a draught of each of the
liquors, said, "Good and sound meats, not tampered with, as I hereby
testify. You take us suddenly, madam; but I thank Heaven, none ever
found us unprovided. Will it please you to fall to? Your woman can
eat after you."

Mary's courtesy was unfailing, and though she felt all a Frenchwoman's
disgust at the roast-beef of old England, she said, "We are too close
companions not to eat together, and I fear she will be the best
trencher comrade, for, sir, I am a woman sick and sorrowful, and have
little stomach for meat."

As Sir Walter carved a huge red piece from the ribs, she could not help
shrinking back from it, so that he said with some affront, "You need
not be queasy, madam, it was cut from a home-fed bullock, only killed
three days since, and as prime a beast as any in Stafford."

"Ah! yea, sir. It is not the fault of the beef, but of my feebleness.
Mistress Talbot will do it reason. But I, methinks I could eat better
were the windows opened."

But Sir Walter replied that these windows were not of the new-fangled
sort, made to open, that honest men might get rheums, and foolish maids
prate therefrom. So there was no hope in that direction. He really
seemed to be less ungracious than utterly clownish, dull, and untaught,
and extremely shy and embarrassed with his prisoner.

Cicely poured out some wine, and persuaded her to dip some bread in,
which, with an apple, was all she could taste. However, the fare,
though less nicely served than by good Mrs. Susan, was not so alien to
Cicely, and she was of an age and constitution to be made hungry by
anxiety and trouble, so that--encouraged by the Queen whenever she
would have desisted--she ended by demolishing a reasonable amount.

Sir Walter stood all the time, looking on moodily and stolidly, with
his cap in his hand. The Queen tried to talk to him, and make
inquiries of him, but he had probably steeled himself to her
blandishments, for no