Lady Stafford who stood near the queen and her ladies looked reproachfully at her daughter.
“Hast thou not changed thy garb yet, my child?” she asked. “It behooves thee to do so at once for it savors of disrespect to the queen not to appear in other array.”
“Nay;” said Elizabeth who had overheard her words. “The lad is well enough as he is. We warrant that he wished not to miss any of this pageant which hath been prepared in our 106 honor. He shall attend us in our own chamber to which we and our ladies will now retire for some privacy. Come, my boy.”
Much embarrassed Lady Stafford strove to stammer forth the truth but the queen waved her hand peremptorily.
“No more, madam. It is our wish that he attend us as he is. He shall don other garb later.”
There was nothing left for Francis to do but to follow her as she retired with the ladies to the apartments which had been allotted to her use. For the first time the girl was painfully conscious of the incongruousness of her attire. That the queen might ask her attendance had not occurred to any of them, and had it done so the affair would have seemed easy of explanation, but it had been found exceedingly difficult to get a hearing. She resolved, however, that should occasion present she would tell all hoping that the queen would pardon the deception, if such it might be called.
ELIZABETH EXTENDED HER HAND GRACIOUSLY
For some time Elizabeth conversed with her maids, taking no notice of Francis, but at length she said abruptly,