Part 5 (2/2)
”Ah!” cried Hazel; ”will it not be delightful to be able to have some life at court, after all this quiet and monotony, with every one away and no music, but that which Mary and I do make for ourselves?” And she clapped her hands, and sh I were her partner in the dance
”Not a great compliment to me, nor to Sir Frederick neither, when thou dost say there is no one at court,” said I; for I did not altogether relish Hazel's superabundance of delight at the prospect of the change
But the dear one was in one of those teasing fits of hers; so I knew full well it was useless to say much
The only answer she did vouchsafe tolittle toss of her pretty head She looked so lovely as she skipped about the rooood-natured; even though he did try to be otherwise
Mary was equally joyed when she heard that ere to have the dance
”But when is it to be?” asked Hazel, stopping suddenly in theMary and me
”This day week, and the Duke of Gloucester and most of the court will have returned by then; so ill have a lively time But here doth coive him the first chance to pick out his dances” Mary blushed; but however, she did go and hed heartily
Indeed it was a goodly sight to see those two standing side by side; the one tall, handsohtly reduced Hercules; and the other, s beside an oak I could see by the way in which Mary was drawn to him that it would take but a word from him, and she would surrender
And as for hiled in the silken meshes of love's all-powerful net from the first day on which he did lay eyes upon this beauteous lily-of-the-valley
But why do I look to them for a picture? Had Harleston but cast his eyes in our direction (the which he did not) he should have beheld as great a contrast, and, to beto the eye
”And how many sets am I to have?” I asked of Hazel
”Well, I shall consider, and take note of thy conduct, and, if it be good, I ive unto thee the second,--and the--”
”Nay, nay, bythe first, and the second, and a great many more”
”Oh, Walter, such an appetite as thou hast developed”
”But re time”
Then she wrinkled her little snohite forehead, and see the matter very deliberately ”Well,” she said, after she had appeared to consider at great length, ”thou mayst have the first; but I will _not_ promise thee any more before the dance, and if I do like that one, ive thee some others”
I knew full hat that meant; so I said no more, but made up my mind to have more when the time did come round And the time soon did come; for in those days of happiness and youth the sun scarce seemed to stay in the heavens for more than an hour at a time; so quickly did those days of dreah it may sound like a contradiction, the sun see; for we had it in our hearts Oh, had we but known the clouds that were to pass over,-- But there, Ithe end of my story ere I shall have come unto it
So the days flew past like sunbeareat ball was to take place at length arrived
Both Harleston and I had engaged the best tailor in London, and alked into the great audience hall that night there was not a soul in the place which could coance of dress--except, perhaps, the Duke of Gloucester And let me here put it down; that roolish tailors could produce The secret of our success lay in the fact that it was Gloucester's own tailor which didnot over busy whilst the Duke was absent in Scotland
As the King (for some reason then unknown to us) had not yet arrived, the ladies and gentle about, in groups of four orall uests arrived
After we had been presented to her Majesty, and saluted the girls, alked to the far end of the hall, where Gloucester, Buckingham, and a fellow by the name of Sir William Catesby, a lawyer, ho The Prince was giving some instructions to the musicians as we came up, but when he saw us he turned, and in that voice, as smooth as the finest silk, he said:--”Ah!
Bradley, , and thee, Harleston I have heard hoere ers, and I assure you both that it shall be none the worse for you that it was so”
We thanked his Grace for his pretty speech, in which, however, I could not help but detect soine what his object could be--for this man ever did have one,--when he acted in thisdid enter, leaning upon the arnificent fore, and yet Edas still a young ed since last I had seen him ”If so short a ti his end,”
thought I Then Harleston's prophecy, when first I had oing to be fulfilled ”But yet, hefrom some temporary attack, and it will soon pass off” Thus did I try to convince myself that all ell