"No, no, no!" whispered Ursula excitedly, as the Duchess immediately rose to obey.
"Ladies!" commanded Her Grace.
"One minute, darling," entreated Ursula, "just one short little minute!"
But where the Queen's commands were concerned Her Grace of Lincoln was adamant.
"Ladies!" she ordered once more.
Alicia and Barbara, though terribly disappointed at the failure of the exciting conspiracy, were ready enough to obey. Ursula wildly ran back to the window.
"I can see his silhouette and that of my lord Everingham slowly moving across the Great Hall," she said.
"Oh! why is he so slow?"
The Duchess turned to the page.
"Precede!" she commanded. "We'll follow."