"I heard him tell the Queen that he would leave his heart with the King and his family," answered Hazel, and she laughed at my apprehension of the danger which I thought threatened her.
"Why dost thou like to torment me so?" I asked.
"Because thou art so easily teased."
Why, oh why, did the Creator arm these fair creatures with such a power to make us happy or miserable, good or bad, send us to Heaven or to Hell, make us sensible men or the veriest of fools as best doth please their whims?
"But look, here cometh the Queen," said my fair companion. "I fear I shall get a scolding for leaving her, to walk with thee."
"Tell her that the Duke of Gloucester kept thee talking with him, the which is the truth," I said.
But when we met her Majesty, who was walking with her daughters and some others of her suite, she most kindly did receive us, and no thoughts of scolding were in her gracious mind. When we had spoken for some time, the Queen enquired as to where Mary was.
"She came on ahead of us, your Majesty," replied I, "and I had surely thought that thou must have met her."
"Do thou go, Hazel dear, and when thou hast found her, tell her that I wish to speak to her."
Hazel courtesied, I bowed, and we passed on, searching for Mary and Harleston.