ueen's residence
in Haddon I was astonished, grieved, and angered to see that our girl had
turned her powerful batteries upon the earl with the evident purpose of
conquest. At times her long lashes would fall before him, and again her
great luminous eyes would open wide, shedding a soft radiance which no man
could withstand. Once I saw her walking alone with him upon the terrace.
Her head was drooped shamelessly, and the earl was ardent though restless,
being fearful of the queen. I boiled with rage against Dorothy, but by a
strong effort I did not boil over until I had better cause. The better
cause came later.

I failed to tell you of a brief conversation which occurred between Sir
George and me after my cousin first saw the Earl of Leicester. Sir George
had gallantly led the queen to her apartments, and I had conducted
Leicester and several of the gentlemen to their various rooms. Sir George
and I met at the staircase after we had quitted our guests.

He said: "Malcolm, that fellow Thomas whom I knocked in the head looked no
more like Leicester than I do. Why did you tell me there was resemblance?"

"I do not know," I answered. "Perhaps your words suggested the thought of
a resemblance. Perhaps I had lost all memory of Leicester's features. I
cannot answer your question."

Then an expression of anger came to Sir George's face, and he said:--

"I believe Dorothy lied to me when she said that the fellow Thomas was of
noble blood."

The next day a servant reported that Thomas had been seen loitering near
Bowling Green Gate, and Sir George ordered Dorothy not to leave the Hall
without his permission.

Dorothy replied to her father's command, "I shall obey you, father."

To me there was a note of danger in her voice. Such docile submissiveness
was not natural to the girl. Of course all appearance of harshness toward
Dorothy was suppressed by Sir George during the queen's visit to the Hall.
In truth, he had no reason to be harsh, for Dorothy was a meek,
submissive, and obedient daughter. Her meekness, however, as you may well
surmise, was but the forerunner of dire rebellion.

The fourth day of the queen's presence at Haddon Hall was the one
appointed for the visit of the Stanleys, and Sir George thought to make a
great event of the betrothal by having the queen act as a witness to the
marriage contract. As the day approached Sir George became thoughtful,
while Dorothy grew gleeful. The girl was frequently seen wi