that country, and placed it in the Abbey. King Edward III's sword and
shield-of-state stand beside the chair. There is something about these
three objects which makes one stand long before them. They are so
ancient--so deeply impressive--and embody so much of English history
itself.

In a little room above one of the smaller chapels are found the
curious Wax Effigies. These figures made of wax, and of life size,
were carried at funerals, and were intended to look like the deceased,
and dressed in their clothes. They are very ghastly, robed in their
faded, torn garments, as each peers out from its glass-case. Queen
Elizabeth, Charles II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, General Monk,
William Pitt, and Lord Nelson are among those represented.

Betty stood before the figure of Queen Elizabeth, whose waxen face is
pinched and worn, and really most horrible to look at.

"Didn't she die propped up on the floor in all her State robes?" asked
Betty.

"Yes," was Mrs. Pitt's reply. "It isn't any wonder that she looked
like that, is it? She is said to have been beautiful in her youth, but
later, she became so very ugly that her ladies-in-waiting got false
looking-glasses, for they didn't dare to allow their mistress to see
her wrinkles."

[Illustration: "OH, HERE'S THE OLD CORONATION CHAIR, ISN'T IT?"--_Page
113._]

After lingering for a short time in the grand old Abbey, they all
mounted a bus and rode down to Bishopsgate Street to take lunch, at
Crosby Hall.[A] This splendid old example of a London mediaeval palace
(having had a varied career since its great days), is now turned into
a restaurant, and our party took seats at a long table in what was
once the Banqueting-hall.

[Footnote A: Crosby Hall was taken down in 1908, but is soon to be
re-erected in Chelsea, near the site of the home of Sir Thomas More.]

"This is really a very historic old house," declared Mrs. Pitt. "It
was built in 1470 by Alderman Sir John Crosby, who died about the time
it was finished, and it passed into the hands of the Duke of
Gloucester, afterwards Richard III. Here, that cruel man had the news
of the successful murder of the little Princes in the Tower, and here
held his great feasts--in this room, I suppose."

They were all looking about at the lofty hall with its carved oak
ceiling, minstrels' gallery, stained-glass windows, and large
fireplace.

"This has recently all been restored, and I suppose it gives us a very
slight idea of it