ntham; and when they arrived at Aylesbury, her cry was--"Eh,
what a power of folks be in this world!"

Old Muriel took her journey, as she did everything, calmly. She, like
Bishop Grosteste himself, lived too much with God to be easily startled
or overawed by the grandeur of man. Avice was in a state of excitement
and delight through the whole time.

They slept at a small inn; and the next morning, one of the Bishop's
servants, who had received his orders beforehand, took up to the Castle
a letter from his master, and waited to hear when it would please the
Queen to see them. He came back in an hour, with the news that the
Queen would receive them that afternoon.

Agnes was in a condition of restless flutter till the time came. Then
they dressed themselves in their very best, and Luke, the Bishop's
servant, took them up to the Castle.

If Agnes had felt confused at the mere idea of her interview, she found
the reality still more overwhelming than she expected. The first thing
she realised was that she stood in an immense hall, surrounded by what
seemed to her a crowd of very smart gentlemen. Then they were led
through passages and galleries, upstairs and downstairs, till Agnes felt
as though she could never hope to find her way back; and at last, in a
very handsome room, where the walls were covered with painting, and the
furniture upholstered in silk, they came into the midst of a second
crowd of very grand ladies. By this time poor Agnes had quite lost her
head; and when one of the fine ladies asked her what she wanted, she
could only drop a succession of courtesies and look totally bewildered.
Old Muriel managed better.

"Under your leave, Madam, we have been sent for by my Lady the Queen."

"Oh, are you the people who come about the nurses' place?" said the
young lady, who looked good-natured enough. "Follow me, and I will lead
you to the Queen's chamber."

How many more chambers can there be? was the wonder uppermost in the
mind of Agnes. But they walked through several more, each to her eyes
grander than the last, painted, with stained glass windows, and
silk-covered furniture. At length the young lady desired them to wait a
moment where they were, while she took in their names to the Queen. She
drew back a crimson silk curtain, and disappeared behind it; and the
three--for they had never thought of leaving Avice behind--stood looking
round them in admiring astonishment. They were not left to wo