se things."

There was silence again, which Anthony did not dare to break; and the two
walked up the whole length of the gallery without speaking.

"Well, well," said Elizabeth at last, "but this was not why I sent for
you. We will speak of yourself now, Mr. Norris. I hope you are not an
obstinate fellow. Eh?"

Anthony said nothing, and the Queen went on.

"Now, as I have told you, I judge no man's private opinions. You may
believe what you will. Remember that. You may believe what you will; nay,
you may practise your religion so long as it is private and unknown to
me."

Anthony began to wonder what was coming; but he still said nothing as the
Queen paused. She stood a moment looking down into the empty Tilt-yard
again, and then turned and sat suddenly in a chair that stood beside the
window, and put up a jewelled hand to shield her face, with her elbow on
the arm, while Anthony stood before her.

"I remember you, Mr. Norris, very well at Greenwich; you spoke up sharply
enough, and you looked me in the eyes now and then as I like a man to do;
and then Minnie loved you, too. I wish to show you kindness for her
sake."

Anthony's heart began to fail him, for he guessed now what was coming and
the bitter struggle that lay before him.

"Now, I know well that the Commissioners have had you before them; they
are tiresome busybodies. Walsingham started all that and set them
a-spying and a-defending of my person and the rest of it; but they are
loyal folk, and I suppose they asked you where you had been and with whom
you had stayed, and so on?"

"They did, your Grace."

"And you would not tell them, I suppose?"

"I could not, madam; it would have been against justice and charity to do
so."

"Well, well, there is no need now, for I mean to take you out of their
hands."

A great leap of hope made itself felt in Anthony's heart; he did not know
how heavy the apprehension lay on him till this light shone through.

"They will be wrath with me, I know, and will tell me that they cannot
defend me if I will not help them; but, when all is said, I am Queen. Now
I do not ask you to be a minister of my Church, for that, I think, you
would never be; but I think you would like to be near me--is it not so?
And I wish you to have some post about the Court; I must see what it is
to be."

Anthony's heart began to sink again as he watched the Queen's face as she
sat tapping a foot softly and looking on the floor as she talked