ut when Edward
died she was not told of it until she received a message from her
father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, to go to his great house,
called Sion House, on the Thames, not far from London. She went, never
thinking what was going to happen or why she was wanted; and when she
was there Northumberland himself and her own father, the Duke of
Suffolk, and some other lords came into the room, and, kneeling before
her, told her that her young cousin Edward was dead, and that she must
succeed him as Queen of England. Poor Lady Jane was so shocked and
startled that she fainted away. When she came round again they told her
she must be obedient and do as they told her. She pleaded with them, and
said Mary must be Queen, and that for herself she was so young--only
sixteen; and she did not care to be Queen, but only wanted to live a
quiet life with her husband, Lord Dudley. But they argued with her, and
told her she was a coward; that it was for the good of England, and that
if she refused she would be wicked; and at last she consented. Then all
her life was changed.

As I have said before, people used the river then a great deal more than
they do now, and all persons of importance had state barges with rowers
to row them up and down the water. Some of these barges were very
magnificent, with scarlet cloth and gold fringe, and looked like
gorgeous birds floating on the water. A beautiful barge was waiting for
Lady Jane in front of Sion House, and she stepped into it, and was rowed
down the river through London to the Tower.

Now up to this time this story has not had much to do with London, but
after this all the rest of it happened in London. When Lady Jane entered
the Tower the man who was then Lord Treasurer of England came to her,
and, kneeling down, offered her the crown of England. And afterwards
Northumberland and his party lost no time, but sent men all round London
to cry out that Lady Jane Grey was now Queen of England.

Meantime, Mary had been in the country. She had only just heard of her
brother's death, when she heard, too, of what Northumberland had done.
Now, she did not resemble her poor little cousin; she was not only very
much older, but of a very stern disposition--not at all likely to sit
down quietly and let another take her crown. So she made people go over
all the countryside where she was and say that she was Queen, and that
men might come and fight for her. Now many people felt that even i