d as Duchess of Norfolk for life.

But when "Sir John de Beaufort, Earl of Somerset!" was called for, the
peer summoned rose and walked forward alone. He was to be created a
marquis--a title of King Richard's own devising, and at that moment
borne by no one else. The Earl came reluctantly, for he was very
unwilling to be made unlike other people; and he dropped his new title,
and returned to the old one, as soon as he conveniently could. He had a
tall, fine figure, but not a pleasant face; and his religion, no less
than his politics, he wore like a glove--well-fitting when on, but
capable of being changed at pleasure. Just now, when Lollardism was
"walking in silver slippers," my Lord Marquis of Dorset was a Lollard.
Rome rarely persecutes men of this sort, for she makes them useful in
preference.

And now the herald cried--"Sir Thomas Le Despenser, Baron of Cardiff!"

The Earls of Northumberland and Suffolk were the supporters of Le
Despenser, who walked forward with a slow, graceful step, to receive
from the King's hand an earl's coronet, accompanied by the ominous name
of Gloucester--a title stained by its last bearer beyond remedy. In
truth, the royal dukedom had been an interpolation of the line, and the
King was merely giving Le Despenser back his own--the coronet which had
belonged to the grand old family of Clare, whose co-heiress was the
great-grandmother of Thomas Le Despenser. The title had been kept as it
were in suspense ever since the attainder of her husband, the ill-fated
Earl Hugh, though two persons had borne it in the interim without any
genuine right.

Three other peers were created, but they do not concern the story. And
then the King rose from his throne, the ceremony was over; and Constance
Le Despenser left the hall among the Princesses by right of her birth,
but wearing her new coronet as Countess of Gloucester.

Four months later, the Duke of Hereford knelt before the throne, and
solemnly accused his late friend and colleague, the Duke of Norfolk, of
treason. He averred that Norfolk had tempted him to join another secret
conspiracy. Norfolk, when questioned, turned the tables by denying the
accusation, and adding that it was Hereford who had tempted him. Since
neither of these noble gentlemen was particularly worthy of credit, and
they both swore very hard on this occasion, it is impossible to decide
which (if either) was telling the truth. The decision finally arrived
at was th