with this question,–
“Hast paid thy duty to the Queen’s majesty to-day, my lord?”
Tom hesitated, looked distressed, and was about to stammer out
something at hazard, when Lord St. John took the word and answered
for him with the easy grace of a courtier accustomed to encounter
delicate difficulties and to be ready for them–
“He hath indeed, madam, and she did greatly hearten him, as
touching his majesty’s condition; is it not so, your highness?”
Tom mumbled something that stood for assent, but felt that he was
getting upon dangerous ground. Somewhat later it was mentioned
that Tom was to study no more at present, whereupon her little
ladyship exclaimed–
“‘Tis a pity, ’tis a pity! Thou wert proceeding bravely. But
bide thy time in patience: it will not be for long. Thou’lt yet
be graced with learning like thy father, and make thy tongue
master of as many languages as his, good my prince.”
“My father!” cried Tom, off his guard for the moment. “I trow he
cannot speak his own so that any but the swine that kennel in the
styes may tell his meaning; and as for learning of any sort
soever–”
He looked up and encountered a solemn warning in my Lord St.
John’s eyes.
He stopped, blushed, then continued low and sadly: “Ah, my malady
persecuteth me again, and my mind wandereth. I meant the King’s
grace no irreverence.”
“We know it, sir,” said the Princess Elizabeth, taking her
‘brother’s’ hand between her two palms, respectfully but
caressingly; “trouble not thyself as to that. The fault is none
of thine, but thy distemper’s.”
“Thou’rt a gentle comforter, sweet lady,” said Tom, gratefully,
“and my heart moveth me to thank thee for’t, an’ I may be so
bold.”
Once the giddy little Lady Jane fired a simple Greek phrase at
Tom. The Princess Elizabeth’s quick eye saw by the serene
blankness of the target’s front that the shaft was overshot; so
she tranquilly delivered a return volley of sounding Greek on
Tom’s behalf, and then straightway changed the talk to other
matters.
Time wore on pleasantly, and likewise smoothly, on the whole.
Snags and sandbars grew less and less frequent, and Tom grew more
and more at his ease, seeing that all were so lovingly bent upon
helping him and overlooking his mistakes. When it came out that
the little ladies were to accompany him to the Lord Mayor’s
banquet in the evening, his heart gave a bound of relief and
delight, for he felt that he should not be friendless, now, among
that multitude of strangers; whereas, an hour earlier, the idea of
their going with him would have been an insupportable terror to
him.
Tom’s guardian angels, the two lords, had had less comfort in the
interview than the other parties to it. They felt much as if they
were piloting a great ship through a dangerous channel; they were
on the alert constantly, and found their office no child’s play.
Wherefore, at last, when the ladies’ visit was drawing to a close
and the Lord Guilford Dudley was announced, they not only felt
that their charge had been sufficiently taxed for the present, but
also that they themselves were not in the best condition to take
their ship back and make their anxious voyage all over again. So
they respectfully advised Tom to excuse himself, which he was very
glad to do, although a slight shade of disappointment might have
been observed upon my Lady Jane’s face when she heard the splendid
stripling denied admittance.
There was a pause now, a sort of waiting silence which Tom could
not understand. He glanced at Lord Hertford, who gave him a sign-
-but he failed to understand that also. The ready Elizabeth came
to the rescue with her usual easy grace. She made reverence and
said–
“Have we leave of the prince’s grace my brother to go?”
Tom said–
“Indeed your ladyships can have whatsoever of me they will, for
the asking; yet would I rather give them any other thing that in
my poor power lieth, than leave to take the light and blessing of
their presence hence. Give ye good den, and God be with ye!”