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"What dost sigh for, Bess?" suddenly enquired the youngest. "O' my troth, thou hast appeared very woeful of late."

"Did I sigh, Alice ?" asked the other dejectedly.

"Sigh, Coz!" repeated Alice. "No old bellows with fifty holes in it ever breathed with so undone a sadness. This comes of being in love, Bess. Art sighing for Sir Walter Raleigh? I see by thy blushing I have hit it. Well, Heaven help thy five wits, that can find matter for sadness in things that give me such infinite matter for mirth. And what be this same animal, called man? A thing to laugh at a joke that goes upon two legs-a walking piece of provocation for women to break a jest upon. Is he not a most absurd creature? I'faith, us poor maids would have all died of melancholy long since, if the men had not kept us alive by affording us such exquisite subjects for sport. And then the airs they give themselves. Didst ever see a peacock in the sun? he spreads himself out just like your man animal; and struts about, and looks as preposterously fine and proud. Poor fool! a goose would look as well had it the same feathers. And, like the clown in the play, he taketh a world of pains to get well laughed at by his audience. Well, I think I lack not gratitude. I owe a bountiful load of thanks to these our estimable benefactors, and all that my poor wit can do to render them as ridiculous as they seek to be, they shall have. They call themselves lords of the creation too, when they have about as much omnipotence as a cockle shell. Whatever lords they may be of, they shall never be lords of my bedchamber, I promise you; for, before I marry a man, I'll give my virginity to an owl."

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Alice, Alice! how thou dost run on," exclaimed Mistress Throckmorton.

"Ay, forsooth, had I no legs I could run on with such a subject," replied her cousin, laughing merrily." But how dost like the setting of this sleeve?”

"It is of a pretty fashion, and of most dainty fabric," said the other, with a careless glance at the dress.

"That all thou canst say about it?" responded her companion archly. Had I asked thee concerning the captain of the queen's guard, wouldst thou have merely said, 'It is of a pretty fashion, and of a most dainty fabric ?" here the merry little creature mimicked her companion. "O' my word, no—I should never have heard the last of him. Thou wouldst have given me whole chapters upon every hair of his head."

"But is he not a wise and most noble gentleman ?" asked her cousin earnestly.

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Wise, quotha!" exclaimed Alice, with a smile of peculiar meaning. "Wise man ?-wise fiddlestick! In what is he wise? Doth he not talk admirably? So doth a parrot if it be well taught. Wise oyster! And there is but little difference betwixt your oyster and your man. Your oyster hath a beard, so hath your man;-so he need not brag so much on that account. But the difference be all in favour of your oyster; for your oyster is delicate eating, but your man is for no Christian stomach, cook him how you will. Wise calf! Why,

there is more philosophy in a forked radish than ever you will find in your wise man.'

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In truth, Alice, if I did not know thee to be a most kind-hearted wench and a merry, I should think thee very malicious," observed the eldest.

"I bear no malice against the poor creatures," replied the other, with pretended meekness. "It would be a right shameful return for the unceasing efforts they make to amuse me. Well it be not their fault that they have not more sense; and considering how foolish they are by nature, I must do them the justice to say, that they do as well as they can."

"But I cannot love thee, if thou wilt not love Walter," said Mistress Throckmorton, looking with much seriousness in the face of her witty relative.

"Love him, coz!" exclaimed Alice, affectionately kissing her forehead. "I will do anything to pleasure thee."

And thereupon the two cousins did caress one another with a lovingness that was most touching to behold.

"But if he make thee melancholy, I'll be hanged if I love him," continued she with much emphasis.

"It be not his fault, dear Alice," replied her companion. "He is always good and kind and noble. I alone am to blame-I am very much to blame." And, saying this, she suddenly did throw herself upon the neck of her kinswoman, in an uncontrollable agony of hysteric sobs and tears; and wept outright.

"Bess! Bess! Cousin! Elizabeth!" cried the now alarmed and anxious Alice. "What meaneth this? Why are these tears—and for what art thou to blame? Nay, this is mere folly. If the queen find out that Sir Walter love thee, she may be wrath with him and thee for a time, but it will all blow over harmlessly, I'll be bound for it; and there is no occasion to fret thyself till it happen. Come dry up thy tears, or I'll not let thee see him for a month."

"I must see him this morning, dear Alice!" remarked her cousin earnestly." Thou must contrive to let me have speech with him here; for it is of the utmost importance."

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Here, cousin!"

Ay, here, Alice," replied she; "my life, all that is dear to me, depends upon it."

"Well, if that be the case, I'll strive whatever my love can do to bring it about," responded the other. "But see how monstrously thou hast rumpled my ruff. If the queen see it she will swear I have been romping." At this they both strove to smooth the creases as well as they could. "And now let me help thee on with thy robe," she continued, as she assisted in attiring her. "Ah, love's a sad thing, and therefore I like it not, dear Bess; for I like merry things." "Thou wilt change thy tune anon, depend on't," said the elder. "Change my tune? I'll change my nature first," replied the other. "By my troth, if the sky were to rain lovers, I'd keep under shelter. Save in the way of sport, if ever I have anything to do with these man animals-why then pickle me. And what a set I have around me at this present! Noah's ark contained not such another. First,

I have my Lord Burghley, who looks as virtuous as small beer, and is just as sour upon occasion. He taketh upon him to commend my beauty, when the lord treasurer desireth to make himself agreeable to the maid of honour; then sayeth he, with a very infinite gravity, 'Be chary of thy smiles, mistress; butter melts i' the sun! butter melts i' the sun!'" And here she mimicked the voice and manner of that most worshipful and profound statesman, of glorious memory, and then proceeded imitating, in the same ludicrous way, the different individuals she named. "Then comes young gravity, his son, Sir Robert Cecil, who hath a smile for every one, and-nothing else; and as he happens to be possessed of a person in no way flattering to the eye, he chooseth to make use of a tongue in every way flattering to the ear. 'Sweet Alice,' saith he, in a whisper, if he happen to stand by me in the throng, Indeed, I cannot help but think thee the flower of the whole court.' After him we have Lord Henry Howard-or rather with him-for they generally hunt in couples, like hounds of better breed; and he is somewhat of a soldier -somewhat of a sailor-somewhat of a gallant, and a great deal of a courtier; and he kisseth my hand cavalierly, and looketh into my eyes as if he saw there something he had lost-his own modesty, mayhap, if he ever had any-and sweareth me one of the newest oaths, saying, I could stand the enemy, but not those lustrous orbs!""

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"Alice, thy wit will be the ruin of thee."

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"Then cometh my Lord Pembroke, the hopeful pupil of that marvellous scholar and exquisite specimen of chivalry, Sir Philip Sidney." continued the laughing girl. "And he readeth me an essay an hour long on the surpassing virtues of the dames of antiquity; and looking the very pink of courtesy, telleth me, Thou wouldst make an admirable Arcadian shepherdess, only the infinite roguery that lurks in the dimple of thy cheek would create a world of mischief among the swains.' Then comes my lord chamberlain, the bluff and martial Earl of Sussex, with guns and pistols in his looks, and cannon balls in his conversation; and he salutes me most soldierly, with an Hullo, mistress! were I for kissing, I know the pair of lips I'd choose out of a thousand.' After him we have the proud and impetuous Essexall splendour-all gallantry-all impulse-and all nothing: and he cometh to me alone with an irresistible air, protesting, 'By this hand, an' I love thee not I am a Turk.'

"Alice! Alice!" exclaimed her cousin seriously, "if thou art heard saying this, thou art utterly undone."

"Then cometh the gallant, gay, the learned, witty, brave, and handsome-in fact the very thing-Sir Walter Raleigh."

"Alice!" cried Mistress Elizabeth Throckmorton, reproachfully. "Well, dear Bess, I will say nothing of him, since it doth not please thee," replied her companion. "And now, because thou art quite ready, and I have teased thee in some measure, I will go and seek the noble captain; for, if I mistake not, he must by this time be in attendance."

"There's a good wench!" exclaimed her cousin, kissing her affec

tionately. "But be cautious in thy proceedings, for if the queen know of his being with me, Walter will be ruined and I undone."

"Be cautious! will I not?" replied the light-hearted creature, with a toss of her little head. "I'll be as sly as a cat stealing of cream; and if her majesty find me out, I'll e'en give her leave to box my ears, as she did those of the lovely Mistress Bridges, who was guilty of having had the presumption to be admired by the imperial Essex. But Bess," continued she, turning round with an arch look, as she roached the door, "'tis a burning shame thou shouldst be in love. I marvel at it hugely. Well, if ever thou catchest me possessed of any of thy melancholy humours, I'll give thee leave to shut me up in a mouse-trap." And with a laugh as shrill and musical as the alarum of a silver bell, did the pretty piece of mirth and mischief leave the roof.

But her cousin was in no mood to join in her merriment; and immediately Alice was gone she sat herself down in a chair, and there stole over her fair countenance an expression of deep and right eloquent sadness. She sat with her arms crossed upon her lap, most dejectedly; and her soft eyes, swimming in tears, fixed upon the floor. And in that position did she continue for at least the fourth part of an hour, feeding reflection with the delicious food of memory, mingled with so many fearful forebodings as were sufficient, with their bitterness to spoil the sweetness of her thoughts. She wept not, neither did she smile; but it seemed as if in her admirable features there was going on a continual struggle between the most exquisite pleasure and the most direful apprehension, and the latter got such mastery as might suffice to give her lids as much moisture as they could carry, and impress on her well-favoured aspect, a character of more than ordinary grief. Anon, her eyes becoming overcharged, there was cast down upon each cheek a tear-drop, and the light falling thereon from the window near which she sat, did make its brilliancy so apparent, that it would have put to shame the brightest jewel that ever glittered in her stomacher; and these gems of purest water, as if enamoured of their fair resting-place, sought not to move from the spot where they had fallen; which gave to her the appearance of a most beautiful and moving Niobe.

Presently she heard a footstep in the corridor, and her heart thereupon began to beat with a more perceptible throbbing. The footstep approached, and the colour mounted to her cheek-it stopped at the door, and the cheek became pale as marble. In a moment the door opened quickly, and was as quickly closed; and, as a cavalier of a most noble appearance entered the room, with a half stifled cry of exultation, she rushed towards him, and sunk swooning upon his breast.

In truth, the cavalier was of a most valiant and commendable presence. His high and expansive forehead was partly concealed by his hat (in which was a little black feather, with a large ruby, and pearl drop at the bottom of the sprig, in place of the button); yet sufficient of it was observable to denote the fine intellect that lay within. His eyes were large and intelligent-his nose somewhat long, yet not out of proportion-his lips delicately curved, with a fair moustache on the

upper lip, and a beard of moderate growth, handsomely rounded under the chin beneath, encircled by a frilled ruff; and his complexion was somewhat browned, as if by exposure to foreign climates, or hard service in the wars. His stature was six feet full, with limbs elegantly yet strongly moulded. He was apparelled in a white satin pinked vest, close sleeved to the wrist, having over the body of it a brown doublet, finely flowered, and embroidered with pearls; with a belt of the same colour and ornament, on the left side of which hung his sword, and on the other was seen the pommel of his dagger. His trunks, with his stockings and ribbon garters, were all of white, and fringed at the end; and his shoes were of buff, tied with white ribbons. He might be somewhere between thirty and forty years of age; that is to say, in the very prime and vigour of his life. And a braver soldier, a handsomer man, or a more accomplished gentleman, the court of Elizabeth did not contain at that time.

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"Bess! Bess! dear, sweet, exquisite Bess!" cried he flinging down his hat, and pressing her in his arms. By heaven! she hath swooned," he exclaimed, as he observed her head droop, and her cheek quite pallid: then, cautiously fastening the door, he bore his lovely burthen to where stood an ewer of water, which he began presently to sprinkle on her face, all the while using most endearing expressions and caresses, and exhibiting a truly earnest solicitude.

"They have fastened thy boddice most infamously tight, dear Bess, and 'tis beyond my poor wit to loose it," said he earnestly, as he tried unavailingly to undo the fastenings of her robe. "S'blood, I have a good mind to rip it up with my dagger; and if she recover not quickly, I will. Dear, dear Bess!" he continued, with more emphasis, as he began vigorously to chafe her hands. "Revive thee, girl-revive! 'Tis I-'tis Walter-thy Walter, dear Bess. There is nothing to fear, believe me. We have no one near, the queen's in the council chamber, and I have well excused my attendance. Come, Bess, I say-sweetest! dearest! best! my heart! my life!-Ha, she revives!" he cried joyfully, as he observed signs of returning animation in her countenance. "Indeed I have a mind to scold thee-only I have no heart to do it."

"Walter! dear Walter!" murmured the beautiful woman, fixing upon him a look of most impassioned tenderness, directly she recovered sufficient consciousness of where and with whom she was; and then throwing her arms around his neck, and resting her head upon his shoulder, began to sob violently.

"Now, Bess, this is unkind of thee," said Sir Walter in rather a reproaching tone; but immediately added with a kinder voice, "but what aileth thee, sweetest?"

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Oh, I have undone thee-I have undone thee quite!" exclaimed she, as plainly as her sobs would allow.

"Not while I wear a sword, dear Bess, and am free to go where I will," he replied.

"The queen will know all, dear Walter-she must discover it soon."

"Why so, dear Bess !" enquired Sir Walter.

"Alas! I cannot tell thee-no, indeed, I cannot tell thee, dear

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