er an enmity burning and full of danger.

The king had noticed nothing of this dumb but significant scene. He was
looking down, brooding over his gloomy thoughts, and the storm-clouds
rolling around his brow gathered darker and darker.

With an impetuous movement he arose from his seat, and this time he
needed no helping hand to stand up. Wrath was the mighty lever that
threw him up.

The courtiers arose from their seats in silence, and nobody besides John
Heywood observed the look of understanding which Earl Douglas exchanged
with Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, and Wriothesley, the lord
chancellor.

"Ah, why is not Cranmer here?" said John Heywood to himself. "I see the
three tiger-cats prowling, so there must be prey to devour somewhere.
Well, I will at any rate keep my ears open wide enough to hear their
roaring."

"The dinner is over, gentlemen!" said the king hastily; and the
courtiers and gentlemen in waiting silently withdrew to the anteroom.

Only Earl Douglas, Gardiner, and Wriothesley, remained in the hall,
while John Heywood crept softly into the king's cabinet and concealed
himself behind the hanging of gold brocade which covered the door
leading from the king's study to the outer anteroom.

"My lords," said the king, "follow me into my cabinet. As we are dull,
the most advisable thing for us to do is to divert ourselves while we
occupy ourselves with the weal of our beloved subjects, and consult
concerning their happiness and what is conducive to their welfare.
Follow me then, and we will hold a general consultation."

"Earl Douglas, your arm!" and as the king leaned on it and walked slowly
toward the cabinet, at the entrance of which the lord chancellor and the
Bishop of Winchester were waiting for him, he asked in a low voice:
"You say that Henry Howard dares ever intrude himself into the queen's
presence?"

"Sire, I did not say that; I meant only that he is constantly to be seen
in the queen's presence."

"Oh, you mean that she perhaps authorizes him to do so," said the king,
grinding his teeth.

"Sire, I hold the queen to be a noble and dutiful wife."

"I should be quite inclined to lay your head at your feet if you did
not!" said the king, in whose face the first lightning of the bursting
cloud of wrath began to flash.

"My head belongs to the king!" said Earl Douglas respectfully. "Let him
do with it as he pleases."

"But Howard--you mean, then, that Howard loves the queen?"

"Yes