The Historical Nights Entertainment, Second Series

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the adventure, and to thrill her bold young spirit. Never yet in all the months of her reign since her coronation in January of last year had she felt so much a queen, and so conscious of the power of her high estate; never so much a woman, and so conscious of the weakness of her sex. The interaction of those conflicting senses wrought upon her like a heady wine. She leaned more hea

il stare cold disapproval. They should mend their countenances soon, and weigh their words or be for ever silenced, when he was master in England. And that he would soon be master he was assured to-night by every glance of her blue eyes, by the pressu

Let me have air," she almos

hat stumbling-block to his ambition, who practiced the housewifely virtues at Cumnor Place, and clung so

ignity as a sovereign. Already in October of 1559 Alvarez de Quadra, the Spanish ambassador, had written home: "I have learnt

, himself, appeared to be an ally of de Quadra and an advocate of the Spanish marriage with the Archduke Charles. But

e dallying there will be with the rest, one after another, is merely to keep L

arlier in his letter. "I have learnt from a person who usually gives m

had caught an echo of the tale of Lord Robert's ambition; he had heard a whisper that whatever suitors might come from overseas for Elizabeth, she would marry none but "my lord"-as Lord Robert was now commonly styled. More, he had aforetime heard rumours of the indispositions o

her under cover of his potion-she standing in no need of physic-he might afterwards be hanged as a cover for the

zabeth of England, had passed, and his lordship could afford to wait. But now of a sudden the urgency was returned. Under the pressure brought to bear upon her

e countenances of Norfolk, Sussex, and those others who hated and despised him; and he had cursed that wife of his who knew not when to die. But for that

to feed his egregious vanity, and to assure him that in her heart he need fear no rival; it came also to set his soul Quiver impotent rage. He had but to put forth his hands to p

a yeoman of the guard, with a Tudor rose embroidered in gold upon his back,

ed by a carcanet of pearls and rubies, and surmounted by a fan-like cuff of guipure, high behind and sloping towards the bust. Thus she appeared to the sentinel as the rays of the single lamp behind him struck fire from her red-gold hair. As if by her very ga

d gay with lights in mid-stream came a tinkle of lutes, and the sweet voice of a singing boy. A moment the lovers stood at gaze, entranced by the beauty of the soft, t

r voice throbbed a world of passionate long

head against his stalwart shoulder, a very woman nestling to the mate of her choice, surrendering to her master. Then the qu

ote in the voice that lately had cooed so

ons between the two natures she had inherited-from overbearing father and wanton mother-was d

by love and worship of you. W

heavily, and he knew that the

took her hand, and, melted again from her dignity, she let it lie i

lmost fearfully, as if a sudden dread suspic

at time she stared intently into the face

irit is at rest." And he

aforetime, Robin. Yet i

her condition," he explained, unconscious of any sinister ambig

step beside her. Then she stood awhile in silence, looking down at the dark oily s

once," answered tha

yway, and you can speak so calmly of her death?" Her tone was brooding. Sh

peered down through the gloom at the rushing waters, and he seized an image from them. "Our love is

ld is to be

that when... that afterwards, I may claim you for my own. Be true

e face in that dim light that baffled her, and he

thee? Answer me true!" she implored

t answer you?" quoth he,

self. I am but a woman, after all," she murmured, and sighed

rently, and she put up a hand t

n any man in England, so thou

inging a triumph song within him. Norfolk and Sussex and those o

upon his crafty, shaven, priestly face. In a smooth voice and an accent markedly foreign, he explained that he, too, sought the cool of the terrace, not thin

ce of the Qu

that the retreating ambassador might hear the dubious compliment; and for my lord's

more, what shall it signify?

watch, and into the first antechamber. Perhaps it was that meeting with de Quadra and my l

nswered, never doubting to

, that... that the

. "Indeed, if she is not dead a

The hour was big with fate. If now he were weak or hesitant, the chance might slip away and be for ever lost to him. Elizabeth's moods were as uncertain as were certain the hostile activities of my lord's enemies.

and in both of them stained by the block, he found a queen-the victim of a physical passion that took no account of the worthlessness underlying his splendid exterior-reaching out a hand to raise him to

to spend her days at Cumnor, whilst he ruffled it at court; content to take such crumbs of attention as he could spare her upon occasion. And during the past year, whilst he had been plotting her death, she had been diligentl

Sir Richard-like his master-was a greedy, unscrupulous, ambitious scoundrel, prepared to go to any lengths for the sake of such

and so mount with me. When I am King, as soon now I shall be, loo

sidering how much already he had been ab

d drew his embroidered bedgown of yell

ot again, or the last chance may go the way of the others. There's a magic in

picious dotard Bayley," grumbled Verney. "You

in Oxford. About it, then, and swiftly. Time is the very soul of fortune in this business, with the Spaniard straining at the le

Bring me word there within the week." He rose, magnificently tall and stately, in his bedgown of embroidered yellow satin, his handsome head thrown back, and w

d," Sir Richard rashly promi

lf there lay a gulf which it needed all his resource to bridge. He paid a short visit to Lady Robert at Cumnor, and professed deepest concern to find in her a pallor and an ailing air which no one else had yet observe

d's doings at court, and of what there is 'twixt the Queen and him? Her ladyship may be too proud to complain

ales," snorte

neither comes to Cumnor, nor requires her ladysh

ley. But Dr. Bayley had talked too much, and it was in vain that Sir Richard pleaded with each of the two

From his description of her condition, said each, it was plain that her ladyship's sick

t of going to seek a physician in Abingdon. But fearing no better success in that quarter, fearing, indeed, that in view of the rumours abroad he would merely be multipl

s urgent. That he desired to come to her at Cumnor again, but dared not do so openly. He would come if she would contrive that her servants

that the rascal conceived. There was about Sir Richard's personality nothing that could suggest the villain. He was a smiling, blue-eyed, florid gentleman, of a kindly manner that le

ect of her such circumstantial confirmation of them, that she fastened avidly upon what she deemed the chance of learning at last the truth. Sir Richard Verney had my lo

on Sunday afternoon. She would contrive to be alone in

ngsell, who expressed herself strongly against leaving her ladyship alone in that lonely house. At length, however, the last of them was got off, and my lady was left impatiently to await her secret visitor. It was late

ound her waiting, fre

have come, Sir Richard,"

swer, and he doffed his plumed bonnet, and bowed low before h

anywhere. I am all al

wise," said he. "Will yo

intimate cosy room, reflecting on every hand the gentle, industrious personality of the owner. On an oak table near the window were spread some papers and account-books concerned with the estate-with which she had sought to beguile the time of waitin

impatiently to supplant her. She was tall and beautifully shaped, despite an almost maidenly slenderness. Her

ago as he now desired to be rid of her. Then he obeyed the insistent spur of passion; now he obe

f her lord which he had promised her, Sir Richard may have felt some pang of pity. But,

im, her dove-like glance upon his florid

"Why, it is briefly this," said he. "My lord..." An

Did you hear any

etrayed alarm, her anxiety m

oving quickly, stealthily, towards the door. He paused before opening it. "Stay where you are, my lady,"

drove into the edge of one of the panels of the wainscot, in line with the topmost step; drawing the cord taut at a height of a foot or so above this step, he made fast its other end to the newel-post at th

d in his absence, so brief as scarcely to have left her

and so we are easily affrighted.. I should have k

ed, coming excitedly to

Queen have knowledge of his coming here, it would mean the Tower for him. Yo

s here, man," her voice s

he dared not set foot in Cumnor until he was

ready she had gathered from his cunning words a new and comforting explanation of the things reported to h

lip between his teeth, his face

the corridor. Then came a piercing scream that echoed through

like a drunken man. But by the time he had reached the stairs he was master of himself again. Swiftly, for all his trembling fingers, he unfastened the cord's end from the newel-post. The wrench upon it had already pulled the bodkin from the wainscot. He

need to touch it. The position of the brown-haired head was such as to leave no doubt of the co

An excellent day's work, thought he, most excellently accomplished. The servants, returning from Abingdon Fair on that Sunday evening, would find he

Fate, the ironic interloper, ha

ight at Whitehall, coupled with his mistrust of her promises and experience of her fickleness, had rendered him uneasy. Either she was trifling with him, or else she was behaving in a manner utterly unbecoming the future wife of the Archduke. In

n then this was due to chance rather than to design on the part of Elizabeth. For they met on the terrace as she was returning fr

ow whether your Majesty would wish me to add anything to what you

rd fenced so closely that there was

s Majesty that I have come to an absolute decisi

ks. Iron self-control alone saved him from utter

had led me to believe when la

it happened that she was in high good-humour that afternoon, and disposed to indulgence

rd," said she. "My sex, you may have h

t you may change it yet a

ot be heard. This t

King, my master, will

ghtly in the face, h

marry to please myself, an

d on marriage th

rchly, her mood of joyousness already

a tone so cold that it belied his words. "That it please you, is

might hazard a shrewd guess." Half-challen

dame. I might aff

w s

es. If I named a subject who si

a little, and her bosom's heave was qui

-does not mate with a subject-particu

the queen, yet in a way that made it difficult for her to take direct offense. She

ou are less well-informed than usual, sir. La

spread his face, she passed

t expressed her afflicting doubt to my lord, reporting to him de Q

is tone before

had he known her so fond as in these last days since her surrender to him that night upon the terr

in? You are quite

at stake could I be less than sure, sweet?" said he, and so convince

im to Windsor by one of Amy's Cumnor servants, a fellow named Bowes, who, with the others, had been away at Abingdon Fair ye

erney. He perceived how suspicion might now fall upon himself, how his enemies would direct it, and on the instant made provision. There and then he seized a pen, and wrote to his kinsman, Sir Thomas Blount, who even then was on his way to Cumnor. He stated in the lette

atrimonial shackles, Sir Richard Verney arrived with the true account. He had expected praise

tainer protested. "Knowing the urgency, I

r if the truth should come to be discovered, I leave you to the consequences

eanness and cowardice so characteristic of the miserable egotist he

ve ordered a strict inquiry, bidding them have no resp

m not hanged?" quoth Sir Richa

the affair is closed, a

disgust in his heart, leaving m

ident that had removed the obstacle to their marriage. And that same night her Majesty coldly i

information with a counten

s not so widely known as it deserv

words, she drew him forward to a window embrasure apart from those who had sto

tood erect and stiff, and frowned upon him after the manner of her bully

retell the poor lady's death a full day before it came to pa

se dark eyes that could be so very bold. T

nswer. "The poor woman was sick and ill, and must soon have succumbed; it will no d

atisfaction in torturing her who had flouted him and his maste

y was in excellent health-and like to have lived for many years-at least

arm. "You told hi

ence there. "I but expressed my chagrin at your decision on the score of

n of a bargain, and beca

your office, my lord," she

Dudley, and closely questioning him about

am innocent of any part in it. My injunctions to Blount, who has gone to Cumnor, are that the matter be sifted without

is shoulder. "Oh, Robin, Robin, I am full of fears," she

inquiries-returned a verdict of "found dead," which in all the circumstances left his lordship-who was known, moreover, to have been at Windsor when

e were Arundel-who himself had aimed at the Queen's hand-Norfolk and Pembroke, and behind them was a great mass of the people. Indignation against Lord Robert was blaz

ruel witticism that Elizabeth was to conserve in her memory: "The Queen of England," she s

he sober Cecil conveyed to her towards the end of that month o

im, of course. But

rtunate matter of a prophecy, as the Bi

Is the rogu

t broadcast that on the day before Lady Robert broke her neck, you told him that she was dead or n

rage, and then fell to swearing as furiously

er vehemence. "I but report the

u beli

f I did I should not

bject of min

ent. They wait to learn t

u m

ch as de Quadra and others allege,

God's name. What

d her ve

let loose her wrath. "It is still in your power, madame, to save your honour, which is now in peril. But there is only one way in which you can accomplish it. If you put from you all thought of marr

d, and, seein

elivered her answer to Cecil, which was th

h the notion of other marriages, but ever and anon, in her despair, perhaps, we see her turning longing eyes towards the handsome Lord Robert, later made Earl of Leicester. Once, indeed, some six years after Amy's death, there was again

nate outburst when she learnt of the birth of Mary Stuart's child: "The