r at his sister.

'Send for his physician then,' Mary said.

'Alack, sister,' the little Prince said before the woman could move, 'my
physician is ill. _Jacet_--He lieth--_in cubiculo_--in his bed.'

The Lady Mary would not look round on him.

'Get thee, then,' she uttered coldly, 'to thine own apartments, Prince.'

'Alack, sister,' he answered,'thou knowest that I may not walk along the
corridors alone for fear some slay me. Nor yet may I be anywhere save
with the Queen, or thee, or with my uncles, or my lady governess, or my
physicians, for fear some poison me.'

He spoke with a clear and shrill voice, and the woman cast down her
eyes, trembling a little, partly to hear such a small, weary child speak
such a long speech as if by wizardry--for it was reported among the
serving maids that he had been overlooked--and partly for fear of the
black humour that she perceived to be upon her mistress.

'Send me then my Magister to lay out cards with me,' the Lady Mary said.
'I cannot make my studies with this Prince in my rooms.'

'Alack, Madam,' the girl said. She was high coloured and with dark eyes,
but when she faltered then the colour died from her cheeks. The Lady
Mary surveyed her coldly, for she was in the mood to give pain. She
uttered no words.

'Alack, alack----' the maid whimpered. She was full of fear lest the
Lady Mary should order her to receive short rations or many stripes; she
was filled with consternation and grief since her sweetheart, a server,
had told her that he must leave her. For it was rumoured that the
Magister had been cast into gaol for sweethearting, and that the King
had said that all sweethearts should be gaoled from thenceforth. 'The
Magister is gaoled,' she said.

'Wherefore?' the Lady uttered the one expressionless word.

'I do not know,' the maid wailed; 'I do not know.'

The form of the Archbishop's gentleman glided noiselessly behind her
back. His eyes shot one sharp, sideways glance in at the door, and, like
a russet fox, he was gone. He was so like a fox that the Lady Mary, when
she spoke, used the words--

'Catch me that gentleman.'

He was brought to the doorsill by the panting maid, for he had walked
away very fast. He stood there, blinking his eyes and stroking his
fox-coloured beard. When the Lady Mary beckoned him into the room he
pulled off his cap and fell to his thin knees. He expected her to bid
him rise, but she left him there.

'Wherefore is my secretary ga