this as criticism of one of her beloved treasures,
was quick to say:

"It only looks short, because it's so uncommon wide, begging your
pardon, Miss."

"Did that stool belong to anybody?" questioned Barbara, tactfully
changing the subject. "It looks as if it has a history."

"And it has, Miss; that stool was used by the late Queen Victoria (God
bless her!), at her coronation at Westminster Abbey!" and the loyal
old lady patted the black velvet stool respectfully.

The rooms and corridors of the old house are crowded with things of
interest. Sir Philip's helmet is there, and a bit of his
shaving-glass. In a small room called the "Pages' Closet," are
preserved rare specimens of china--Queen Elizabeth's dessert-set, in
green, and Queen Anne's breakfast-set, in blue and white. Betty and
Barbara were deeply interested in Mary Stuart's jewel-case, and they
laughed over a very curious old painting which shows Queen Elizabeth
dancing. The long picture-gallery is lined with portraits--most of
them Sidneys--and among them those of the mother of Sir Philip, and of
his sister, the Countess of Pembroke, for whom he wrote his "Arcadia."

When they again passed through the Ball-room on their way out, they
were shown a little square window on one of the walls, which they had
not noticed before.

"Why! I can see down into the Banquet-hall!" exclaimed Philip, who had
climbed up to look through.

"Yes," said their guide, "in the olden times, the master at the ball
could look through there to see how the servants were behaving, down
in the hall below."

Out on the lawn again, they lingered for a few minutes while Mrs. Pitt
reminded them that there is every reason to believe that under those
very trees Spenser wrote his "Shepherd's Calendar."

Reluctantly they left the castle and walked back to the carriage,
which awaited them in the village.

"If all English castles are as beautiful as Penshurst Place," declared
Betty earnestly, "I can't go back to America until I have seen every
one!"

CHAPTER FIVE

THE TOWER OF LONDON

"I should think they'd call it 'The Towers,' instead of 'The Tower,'"
remarked Betty, surveying the curious, irregular jumble of buildings
before her, as they left the bus.

"That's true," Mrs. Pitt agreed; "but I suppose the name was first
given to the White Tower, which is the oldest part and was built by
William the Conqueror as long ago as 1080. Why did they call it the
White Tower? Well, I