ng the rest, and was now a banished felon,
in refuge over seas: _he_ to dare so much as to breathe the same air
with the wife of his Sovereign, with her that had been his advocate, and
that knew all his treacheries! Could any worser insult to the Queen
have been devised? But all at once, as I passed along the gallery,
another thought came in upon me. What of her? who, knowing all this and
more, yet gave leave for this man--not to kneel at her feet and cry her
mercy--that had been grace beyond any reasonable hope: but suffered him
to stand in her presence, to appear in her privy cabinet--nay, to act as
though he were a noble appointed of her Council! Had she forgot all the
past?

I travelled no further for that time. The time was to come when I
should perceive that forgetfulness was all too little to account for her
deeds.

That night, Dame Tiffany being appointed to the pallet, it so fell out
that Dame Elizabeth, Dame Joan, and I, lay in the antechamber. We had
but began to doff ourselves, and Dame Elizabeth was stood afore the
mirror, a-combing of her long hair--and rare long hair it was, and of a
fine colour (but I must not pursue the same, or Jack shall find in the
hair an hare)--when I said to her--

"Dame Elizabeth, pray you tell me, were you in waiting when Sir Roger de
Mortimer came to the Queen?"

"Ay," saith she, and combed away.

"And," said I, "with what excuse came he?"

"Excuse?" quoth she. "Marry, I heard none at all."

"None!" I cried, tarrying in the doffing of my subtunic. "Were you not
ill angered to behold such a traitor?"

"Dame Cicely," saith she, slowly pulling the loose hairs forth of the
comb, "if you would take pattern by me, and leave troubling yourself
touching your neighbours' doings, you should have fewer griefs to mourn
over."

Could the left sleeve of my subtunic, which I was then a-doffing, have
spoke unto me, I am secure he should have 'plained that he met with full
rough treatment at my hands.

"Good for you, Dame, an' you so can!" said I somewhat of a heat. "So
long as my neighbours do well, I desire not to mell [meddle] nor make in
their matters. But if they do ill--"

"Why, then do I desire it even less," saith she, "for I were more like
to get me into a muddle. Mine own troubles be enough for me, and full
too many."

"Dear heart! had you ever any?" quoth I.

"In very deed, I do ensure you," saith she, "for this comb hath one of
his teeth split, and he d