ain, returning, and bending over until his face and his shoe
buckles almost touched.

"And what is to be done with this prisoner, while we are eating it?"
growled the dwarf, looking drawn swords at his liege lady.

"He can remain here under care of the guards, can he not?" she retorted
sharply. "Or, if you are afraid they are not equal to taking care of
him, you had better stay and watch him yourself."

With which answer, her majesty sailed majestically away, leaving the
gentleman addressed to follow or not, as he pleased. It pleased him to
do so, on the whole; and he went after her, growling anathemas between
his royal teeth, and evidently in the same state of mind that induces
gentlemen in private life to take sticks to their aggravating spouses,
under similar circumstances. However, it might not be just the thing,
perhaps, for kings and queens to take broom-sticks to settle their
little differences of opinion, like common Christians; and so the prince
peaceably followed her, and entered the salle a manger with the rest,
and Sir Norman and his keepers were left in the hall of state, monarchs
of all they surveyed. Notwithstanding he knew his hours were numbered,
the young knight could not avoid feeling curious, and the tapestry
having been drawn aside, he looked through the arch with a good deal of
interest.

The apartment was smaller than the one in which he stood--though still
very large, and instead of being all crimson and gold, was glancing and
glittering with blue and silver. These azure hangings were of satin,
instead of velvet, and looked quite light and cool, compared to the hot,
glowing place where he was. The ceiling was spangled over with silver
stars, with the royal arms quartered in the middle, and the chairs were
of white, polished wood, gleaming like ivory, and cushioned with blue
satin. The table was of immense length, as it had need to be, and
flashed and sparkled in the wax lights with heaps of gold and silver
plate, cut-glass, and precious porcelain. Golden and crimson wines
shone in the carved decanters; great silver baskets of fruit were strewn
about, with piles of cakes and confectionery--not to speak of more solid
substantials, wherein the heart of every true Englishman delighteth.
The queen sat in a great, raised chair at the head, and helped herself
without paying much attention to anybody, and the remainder were ranged
down its length, according to their rank--which, as they were all prett