er's doublet, but that frieze jerkin is well cut;
it suits thy figure well--I would that my Lord Leicester here had such a
tailor. But this perquage--I doubt not there are those here at Court who
are most ignorant of its force and moment. My Lord Chamberlain, my Lord
Leicester, Cecil here--confusion sits in their faces. The perquage,
which my father's patent approved, has served us well, I doubt not, is
a comfort to our realm and a dignity befitting the wearer of that frieze
jerkin. Speak to their better understanding, Monsieur of Rozel."

"Speak, Nuncio, and you shall have comforts, and be given in marriage,
multiple or singular, even as I," said the fool, and touched him on the
breast with his bells.

Lempriere had recovered his heart, and now was set full sail in the
course he had charted for himself in Jersey. In large words and larger
manner he explained most innocently the sacred privilege of perquage.
"And how often have you used the right, friend?" asked Elizabeth.

"But once in ten years, your noble Majesty."

"When last?"

"But yesterday a week, your universal Majesty." Elizabeth raised her
eyebrows. "Who was the criminal, what the occasion?"

"The criminal was one Buonespoir, the occasion our coming hither to wait
upon the Queen of England and our Lady of Normandy, for such is your
well-born Majesty to your loyal Jersiais." And thereupon he plunged
into an impeachment of De Carteret of St. Ouen's, and stumbled through
a blunt broken story of the wrongs and the sorrows of Michel and Angele
and the doings of Buonespoir in their behalf.

Elizabeth frowned and interrupted him. "I have heard of this Buonespoir,
Monsieur, through others than the Seigneur of St. Ouen's. He is an
unlikely squire of dames. There's a hill in my kingdom has long bided
his coming. Where waits the rascal now?"

"In the ante-chapel, your Majesty."

"By the rood!" said Elizabeth in sudden amazement. "In my ante-chapel,
forsooth!"

She looked beyond the doorway and saw the great red-topped figure of
Buonespoir, his good-natured, fearless fare, his shock of hair, his
clear blue eye--he was not thirty feet away.

"He comes to crave pardon for his rank offences, your benignant
Majesty," said Lempriere.

The humour of the thing rushed upon the Queen. Never before were two
such naive folk at court. There was not a hair of duplicity in the heads
of the two, and she judged them well in her mind.

"I will see you stand together--you