he boatman paused at his oars, turned round a moment, grasping them in
one hand, and stared up-stream under the other. Chris could see a
movement among the boats higher up, and there seemed to break out a
commotion at the foot of the houses on London Bridge, and then far away
came the sound of cheering.

"What is it?" asked the Prior sharply, lifting his head, as the boatman
gave an exclamation and laid furiously to his oars again.

The man jerked his head backwards.

"The King's Grace," he said.

* * * * *

For a minute or two nothing more was to be seen. A boat or two near them
was seen making off to the side from mid-stream, to leave a clear
passage, and there were cries from the direction of the bridge where
someone seemed to be in difficulties with the strong stream and the
piers. A wherry that was directly between them and the bridge moved
off, and the shining water-way was left for the King's Grace to come
down.

Then, again, the brass horns sounded nearer.

Chris was conscious of an immense excitement. The dramatic contrast of
the scene he had just left with that which he was witnessing overpowered
him. He had seen one end of the chain of life, the dying bishop in the
Tower, in his rags; now he was to see the other end, the Sovereign at
whose will he was there, in all the magnificence of a pageant. The Prior
was sitting bolt upright on the seat beside him; one hand lay on his
knee, the knuckles white with clenching, the other gripped the side of
the boat.

Then, again, the fierce music sounded, and the first boat appeared under
one of the wider spans of the bridge, a couple of hundred yards away.

The stream was running out strongly by now, and the boatman tugged to
get out of it into the quieter water at the side, and as he pulled an
oar snapped. The Prior half started up as the man burst out into an
exclamation, and began to paddle furiously with the other oar, but the
boat revolved helplessly, and he was forced to change it to the opposite
side.

Meanwhile the boats were beginning to stream under the bridge, and
Chris, seeing that the boat in which he sat was sufficiently out of the
way to allow a clear passage in mid-stream even if not far enough
removed for proper deference, gave himself up to watching the splendid
sight.

The sun had now dropped behind the high houses by the bridge, and a
shadow lay across the water, but nearer at hand the way was clear, and
in