"Would it were poison," muttered Sir Thomas Wyat, who stood behind
the Earl of Surrey, and witnessed what was passing.

"Give not thy treasonable thoughts vent, gossip," said Will Sommers,
who formed one of the group near the royal table, "or it may chance
that some one less friendly disposed towards thee than myself may
overhear them. I tell thee, the Lady Anne is lost to thee for ever.
Think'st thou aught of womankind would hesitate between a simple
knight and a king? My lord duke," he added sharply to Richmond, who
was looking round at him) "you would rather be in yonder gallery than
here."

"Why so, knave?" asked the duke.

"Because the Fair Geraldine is there," replied the jester. "And yet your
grace is not the person she would most desire to have with her."

"Whom would she prefer? " inquired the duke angrily.

The jester nodded at Surrey, and laughed maliciously.

"You heard the health given by the king just now, my lord," observed
the Duke of Suffolk to his neighbour the Duke of Norfolk; "it was a
shrewd hint to the lord legate which way his judgment should decline.
Your niece will assuredly be Queen of England."

"I did not note what was said, my lord," replied Norfolk; "I pray you
repeat it to me."

Suffolk complied, and they continued in close debate until the