TRUE COURTESY.—PART II.
It was some weeks later that John Duddlestone found his stock of whalebone was growing low.
"Wife," said he, "the whalebone's nearly gone, and I must have some more at once."
"Surely, John, I know well it's nearly gone!" she answered. "Haven't I watched every bit as you've used it? and haven't I pretty near cried to see it go so slowly?"
"Pooh! you foolish woman!" he cried.
"But, John, you'll take me, and go to see the King and Queen?" she inquired.
"Why, you silly woman, do you think I should leave you behind, when I know you're nearly crazed to go?"
"O John, John, you dear, good man! I've mended all my dresses, and made myself trim and neat. I've seen to your coats; and all's done; and I feel as if I could scarcely live till I see the Queen."
"You'd best keep alive," said her husband; "and if all goes well we'll start by the coach on Monday."
Monday was as lovely a day as heart could wish; and John and his wife walked down the Bristol streets to the public-house from which the coach was to start.
It was a great event in Mrs. Duddlestone's life, for she had never been beyond her own town, except for a drive into the country in a neighbor's cart.
They were quiet people; but it had got about the town, that they were going to London to visit the Queen, and numbers came out to see them go.
Perhaps some of the great merchants wished they had been simple and humble enough to offer to entertain Prince George when he had visited their town.
They journeyed straight to London, where John bought his whalebone, and then found their way to St. James' Palace, where, presenting the Prince's card, they gained ready admittance.
They were shown into a room, more beautiful than any that they had ever seen. Very shortly the door opened, and the well-remembered face of their guest appeared. Almost before he had greeted them, a quiet-looking lady followed him, and came smilingly to greet them.
"This is the Queen," said Prince George; and then, turning to her, he added, "These are the good people who showed me such kindness in Bristol."
The Queen was so gentle and courteous that neither John nor his wife felt confused in her presence. She talked kindly to them, asking after their trade, and how they had fared in their journey.
She then asked them to dine with her that evening, and said dresses would be provided for them, so that they should not feel strange by seeing that they were dressed differently from all her other guests.
She then called an attendant, and desired that refreshment should be given them, and that they should be well cared for, and shown all that might interest them until dinner time.
It was a long, wonderful day to them, as they walked about from place to place. Before dinner they were taken to the room that was prepared for them, and there they found elegant court dresses of purple velvet ready to put on.
"Surely, John, they can not be for us!" cried Mrs. Duddlestone.
"Yes, but they must be! Did not the Queen say she would give us dresses? and do not these dresses look as if they had been given by a queen?"
"John, I shall feel very strange before all the grand ladies!"
"Then you need not, wife, for the Queen and Prince will be there; and the others will not trouble you; but this is a queer dress. It's like being somebody else."
And very queer they felt, as for the first time they walked down the grand stairs, in such, splendid dresses, to dine at the Queen's table, with the Queen's servants to wait on them.
"You must go first, John," said his wife, for shyness came over her.
"Be not so foolish, wife," whispered John; and, though feeling rather awkward in his new dress, he walked simply forward, as he might have done in a friend's house.
The Queen met them at the door, and, turning to her other guests, who were assembled, she said, "Gentlemen, I have to introduce to you, with great pleasure, the most loyal people in the town of Bristol."
At these words they all rose and bowed low, while John and his wife did the same, and then sat down, and ate a good dinner.
After the dinner was over, the Prince summoned John Duddlestone to the Queen.
At her command John knelt before her, and she laid a sword lightly on his shoulder, with the words, "Rise up, Sir John Duddlestone"; and the simple, kind-hearted bodice-maker of Bristol rose up a knight.
His wife stood by, watching with eagerness, and could hardly believe that from plain Mistress Duddlestone she had become Lady Duddlestone.
She would, have been very proud if the Queen had laid the sword upon her also; but she heard that was not needed. However, she was made very happy by being called to the Queen's side.
"Lady Duddlestone," said Her Majesty, "allow me to present you with my gold watch, in remembrance of your visit to St. James' Palace, and of the Prince's visit to Bristol, which led to our knowing two such loyal and courteous subjects."
Lady Duddlestone bowed lower and lower, almost unable to find any words in which to express her gratitude.
A gold watch! Was it possible? Watches were not common in those times. She had heard of watches, and had even seen some; but had never dreamt of possessing one.
Such a big beauty it was! She was glad to fall back behind the other guests, and get time to think quietly, and realize that all was true, and not a dream from which she would wake, and find herself in her little attic bed-room at Bristol.
Queen Anne then spoke to Sir John, offering to give him a position under Government; but he begged to be excused.
"It would be strange, your Majesty, very strange, up in London, and my work at Bristol suits me far the best. We want for nothing, and should never feel so well and home-like as in our little house at Bristol."
The Queen understood him, and did not press him; and in another day or two the couple were again on their way home.
"You're glad, wife, that we're going home?" John asked; "and you think I did well not to take some office in London?"
"Well! You could have clone no better. It's been grand to see, and grand to hear; but it would be very strange and uncomfortable to live always like that, and I'll be right glad to be back once more.
"I'm more than proud of it all. But I should never like our own room, in which Prince George sat so home-like with us, to belong to another."
"No, no—we will keep our own snug home," replied John with earnestness.
And so they did, living on quietly as of old; and the only display ever made by Lady Duddlestone was, that whenever she went to church or to market, she always wore the Queen's big gold watch.
Language Lesson.—Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of what is given below in dark type.
You'd best keep alive.
It's been grand to see.
Then you need not.
You're nearly crazed to go.
Attendant is made up of two parts—the stem, attend, and the ending, ant (meaning one who).
The meaning of the word attendant is one who attends.
Make out an analysis of the last two lessons, and use it in telling the story in your own words.
LESSON XXXV.
pre sume', suppose; think without being sure.
mus'cles, those parts of the body which give us motion, and by which we exert our strength.
ex tent', space; distance.
or'di na ry, common; usual.
knowl'edge, that which is known through study.
de gree', measure, as of space or time.
spent, used up; exhausted.
snapped, broken off.
de tached', taken away from.