s to our subject.
Nevertheless, he found the gate of Sayes Court defended by men with
culverins, as if it had been on the borders of Scotland, not in the
vicinity of our court; and when he demanded admittance in our name, it
was stubbornly refused. For this slight of a kindness, which had but too
much of condescension in it, we will receive, at present at least, no
excuse; and some such we suppose to have been the purport of my Lord of
Sussex's message."

This was uttered in a tone and with a gesture which made Lord Sussex's
friends who were within hearing tremble. He to whom the speech was
addressed, however, trembled not; but with great deference and humility,
as soon as the Queen's passion gave him an opportunity, he replied, "So
please your most gracious Majesty, I was charged with no apology from
the Earl of Sussex."

"With what were you then charged, sir?" said the Queen, with the
impetuosity which, amid nobler qualities, strongly marked her character.
"Was it with a justification?--or, God's death! with a defiance?"

"Madam," said the young man, "my Lord of Sussex knew the offence
approached towards treason, and could think of nothing save of securing
the offender, and placing him in your Majesty's hands, and at your
mercy. The noble Earl was fast asleep when your most gracious message
reached him, a potion having been administered to that purpose by his
physician; and his Lordship knew not of the ungracious repulse your
Majesty's royal and most comfortable message had received, until after
he awoke this morning."

"And which of his domestics, then, in the name of Heaven, presumed
to reject my message, without even admitting my own physician to
the presence of him whom I sent him to attend?" said the Queen, much
surprised.

"The offender, madam, is before you," replied Walter, bowing very low;
"the full and sole blame is mine; and my lord has most justly sent me
to abye the consequences of a fault, of which he is as innocent as a
sleeping man's dreams can be of a waking man's actions."

"What! was it thou?--thou thyself, that repelled my messenger and my
physician from Sayes Court?" said the Queen. "What could occasion such
boldness in one who seems devoted--that is, whose exterior bearing shows
devotion--to his Sovereign?"

"Madam," said the youth--who, notwithstanding an assumed appearance
of severity, thought that he saw something in the Queen's face that
resembled not implacability--"we say in our co