"Foul betrayer!" half-exclaimed Gloucester, turning disappointed away.
"O! what it is to be vile, and to trust the vile! But virtue will not
be auxiliary to vice--and so wickedness falls by its own agents."
The baroness, raised from her kneeling position by Soulis, began:
"The only time I ever heard of, or saw this man, to my knowledge, was
when he was brought to play before my lady at the bishop's banquet. I
did not much observe him, being engaged in conversation at the other
end of the room; so I cannot say, whether I might not have seen him in
France; for many noble lords adored the Princess Margaret, though she
appeared to frown upon them all. But I must confess, when I attended
her majesty's disrobing after the feast, she put to me so many
questions about what I thought of the minstrel who had sung so
divinely, that I began to think her admiration too great to have been
awakened by a mere song. And then she asked me, if a king could have a
nobler air than he had; and she laughed, and said she would send your
majesty to school to learn of him."
"Damnable traitress!" exclaimed the king.
The baroness paused, and retreated before the sudden fury which flashed
from his eyes.
Pages:
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887