there near one of the entrances, and that yawned and blinked in the
autumn sunshine.

Even as he looked the dog paused in the middle of his stretch and stood
expectant with his ears cocked, a servant dashed bareheaded down a couple
of steps and out through the low archway; and simultaneously Anthony
heard once more the sweet shrill trumpets that told of the Queen's
approach; then there came the roll of drums and the thunder of horses'
feet and the noise of wheels; the trumpets sang out again nearer, and the
rumbling waxed louder as the Queen's cavalcade, out of sight, passed the
entrance of the archway down upon which Anthony looked; and then stilled,
and the palace itself began to hum and stir; a door or two banged in the
distance, feet ran past the door of the ante-room, and the strain of the
trumpets sounded once in the house itself. Then all grew quiet once more,
and Anthony turned from the window and sat down again by the Lieutenant.

There was silence for a few minutes. The Lieutenant stroked his beard
gently and said a word or two under his breath now and again to Anthony;
once or twice there came the swift rustle of a dress outside as a lady
hurried past; then the sound of a door opening and shutting; then more
silence; then the sound of low talking, and at last the sound of
footsteps going slowly up and down the gallery which adjoined the
ante-room.

Still the minutes passed, but no summons came. Anthony rose and went to
the window again, for, in spite of himself, this waiting told upon him.
The dog had gone back to his kennel and was lying with his nose just
outside the opening. Anthony wondered vacantly to himself what door it
was that he was guarding, and who lived in the rooms that looked out
beside it. Then suddenly the door from the gallery opened and a page
appeared.

"The Queen's Grace will see Mr. Norris alone."

Anthony went towards him, and the page opened the door wide for him to go
through, and then closed it noiselessly behind him, and Anthony was in
the presence.

* * * *

It was with a sudden bewilderment that he recognised he was in the same
gallery as that in which he had talked and sat with Mary Corbet. There
were the long tapestries hanging opposite him, with the tall three
windows dividing them, and the suits of steel armour that he remembered.
He even recalled the pattern of the carpet across which Mary Corbet had
come forward to meet