She gathered her skirts in each hand, and began a curtsy. 'You
will go at your own charges,' she whispered straight before her.
'Oh, enviable and adorable age of youth!' Her eyes shone through
the mask-holes. 'But I warn you you'll repent it. Put not your
trust in princes - or Queens. Philip's ships'll blow you out of
water. You'll not be frightened? Well, we'll talk on it again, when
I return from Rye, dear lads.'

The wonderful curtsy ended. She stood up. Nothing stirred on
her except the rush of the shadows.

'And so it was finished,' she said to the children. 'Why d'you
not applaud?'

'What was finished?' said Una.

'The dance,' the lady replied offendedly. 'And a pair of
green shoes.'

'I don't understand a bit,' said Una.

'Eh? What did you make of it, young Burleigh?'

'I'm not quite sure,' Dan began, 'but -'

'You never can be - with a woman. But -?'

'But I thought Gloriana meant the cousins to go back to the
Gascons' Graveyard, wherever that was.'