sentence should be pronounced,
Cavendish thought that the request of the Earl of Shrewsbury might
prevail to obtain permission for an interview between the prisoner and
one commissioned by his former guardian. Will was daily attending Sir
Francis Walsingham as his clerk, and was not by any means unwilling to
relate anything he had been able to learn.

Queen Elizabeth was, it seemed, greatly agitated and distressed. The
shock to her nerves on the day when she had so bravely overawed
Barnwell with the power of her eye had been such as not to be easily
surmounted. She was restless and full of anxiety, continually starting
at every sound, and beginning letters to the Queen of Scots which were
never finished. She had more than once inquired after the brave sailor
youths who had come so opportunely to her rescue; and Lord Talbot
thought it would be well to present Diccon and his father to her, and
accordingly took them with him to Greenwich Palace, where they had the
benefit of looking on as loyal subjects, while her Majesty, in royal
fashion, dined in public, to the sound of drums, trumpets, fifes, and
stringed instruments. But though dressed with her usual elaborate
care, she looked older, paler, thinner, and more haggard than when
Diccon had seen her three weeks previously, and neither her eye nor
mouth had the same steadiness. She did not eat with relish, but almost
as if she were forcing herself, lest any lack of appetite might be
observed and commented upon, and her looks continually wandered as
though in search of some lurking enemy; for in truth no woman, nor man
either, could easily forget the suggestion which had recently been
brought to her knowledge, that an assassin might "lurk in her gallery
and stab her with his dagger, or if she should walk in her garden, he
might shoot her with his dagg, or if she should walk abroad to take the
air, he might assault her with his arming sword and make sure work."
Even though the enemies were safe in prison, she knew not but that
dagger, dagg, or arming sword might still be ready for her, and she
believed that any fatal charge openly made against Mary at the trial
might drive her friends to desperation and lead to the use of dagg or
dagger. She was more unhinged than ever before, and commanded herself
with difficulty when going through all the scenes of her public life as
usual.

The Talbots soon felt her keen eye on them, and a look of recognition
passed over her fac