The Midnight Queen [55]
come here, but fell here, through
that hole, if you perceive, and very much against my will."
"Equivocation will not serve you in this case, sir," said the
queen, with an austere dignity. "And, allow me to observe, it is
just probable you would not have fallen through that hole in our
royal ceiling if you had kept away from it. You raised that flag
yourself - did you not?"
"Madam, I fear I must say yes!"
"And why did you do so?" demanded her majesty, with far more
sharp asperity than Sir Norman dreamed could ever come from such
beautiful lips.
"The rumor of Queen Miranda's charms has gone forth; and I fear I
must own that rumor drew me hither," responded Sir Norman,
inventing a polite little work of fiction for the occasion; "and,
let me add, that I came to find that rumor had under-rated
instead of exaggerated her majesty's said charms."
Here Sir Norman, whose spine seemed in danger of becoming the
shape of a rainbow, in excess of good breeding, made another
genuflection before the queen, with his hand over the region of
his heart. Miranda tried to look grave, and wear that expression
of severe solemnity I am told queens and rich people always do;
but, in spite of herself, a little pleased smile rippled over her
face; and, noticing it, and the bow and speech, the prince
suddenly and sharply set up such another screech of laughter as
no steamboat or locomotive, in the present age of steam, could
begin to equal in ghastliness.
"Will your highness have the goodness to hold your tongue?"
inquired the queen, with much the air and look of Mrs. Caudle,
"and allow me to ask this stranger a few questions uninterrupted?
Sir Norman Kingsley, how long have you been above there,
listening and looking on?"
"Madame, I was not there five minutes when I suddenly, and to my
great surprise, found myself here."
"A lie! - a lie!" exclaimed the dwarf, furiously. "It is over
two hours since I met you at the bar of the Golden Crown."
"My dear little friend," said Sir Norman, drawing his sword, and
flourishing it within an inch of the royal nose, "just make that
remark again, and my sword will cleave your pretty head, as the
cimetar of Saladin clove the cushion of down! I earnestly assure
you, madame, that I had but just knelt down to look, when I
discovered to my dismay, that I was no longer there, but in your
charming presence."
"In that case, my lords and gentlemen," said the queen, glancing
blandly round the apartment, "he has witnessed nothing, and,
therefore, merits but slight punishment."
"Permit me, your majesty," said the duke, who had read the roll
of death, and who had been eyeing Sir Norman sharply for some
time, "permit me one moment! This is the very individual who
slew the Earl of Ashley, while his companion was doing for my
Lord Craven. Sir Norman Kingsley," said his grace, turning, with
awful impressiveness to that young person, "do you know me?"
"Quite as well as I wish to," answered Sir Norman, with a cool
and rather contemptuous glance in his direction. "You look
extremely like a certain highwayman, with a most villainous
countenance, I encountered a few hours back, and whom I would
have made mince most of if he lead not been coward enough to fly.
Probably you may be the name; you look fit for that, or anything
else."
"Cut him down!" "Dash his brains out!" "Run him through!" "Shoot
him!" were a few of the mild and pleasant insinuations that went
off on every side of him, like a fierce volley of pop-guns; and a
score of bright blades flashed blue and threatening on every
side; while the prince broke out into another shriek of laughter,
that rang high over all.
Sir Norman drew his own sword, and stood on the defence, breathed
one thought to Leoline, gave himself up for lost; but before
quite doing so - to use a phrase not altogether as original as it
might be - "determined
that hole, if you perceive, and very much against my will."
"Equivocation will not serve you in this case, sir," said the
queen, with an austere dignity. "And, allow me to observe, it is
just probable you would not have fallen through that hole in our
royal ceiling if you had kept away from it. You raised that flag
yourself - did you not?"
"Madam, I fear I must say yes!"
"And why did you do so?" demanded her majesty, with far more
sharp asperity than Sir Norman dreamed could ever come from such
beautiful lips.
"The rumor of Queen Miranda's charms has gone forth; and I fear I
must own that rumor drew me hither," responded Sir Norman,
inventing a polite little work of fiction for the occasion; "and,
let me add, that I came to find that rumor had under-rated
instead of exaggerated her majesty's said charms."
Here Sir Norman, whose spine seemed in danger of becoming the
shape of a rainbow, in excess of good breeding, made another
genuflection before the queen, with his hand over the region of
his heart. Miranda tried to look grave, and wear that expression
of severe solemnity I am told queens and rich people always do;
but, in spite of herself, a little pleased smile rippled over her
face; and, noticing it, and the bow and speech, the prince
suddenly and sharply set up such another screech of laughter as
no steamboat or locomotive, in the present age of steam, could
begin to equal in ghastliness.
"Will your highness have the goodness to hold your tongue?"
inquired the queen, with much the air and look of Mrs. Caudle,
"and allow me to ask this stranger a few questions uninterrupted?
Sir Norman Kingsley, how long have you been above there,
listening and looking on?"
"Madame, I was not there five minutes when I suddenly, and to my
great surprise, found myself here."
"A lie! - a lie!" exclaimed the dwarf, furiously. "It is over
two hours since I met you at the bar of the Golden Crown."
"My dear little friend," said Sir Norman, drawing his sword, and
flourishing it within an inch of the royal nose, "just make that
remark again, and my sword will cleave your pretty head, as the
cimetar of Saladin clove the cushion of down! I earnestly assure
you, madame, that I had but just knelt down to look, when I
discovered to my dismay, that I was no longer there, but in your
charming presence."
"In that case, my lords and gentlemen," said the queen, glancing
blandly round the apartment, "he has witnessed nothing, and,
therefore, merits but slight punishment."
"Permit me, your majesty," said the duke, who had read the roll
of death, and who had been eyeing Sir Norman sharply for some
time, "permit me one moment! This is the very individual who
slew the Earl of Ashley, while his companion was doing for my
Lord Craven. Sir Norman Kingsley," said his grace, turning, with
awful impressiveness to that young person, "do you know me?"
"Quite as well as I wish to," answered Sir Norman, with a cool
and rather contemptuous glance in his direction. "You look
extremely like a certain highwayman, with a most villainous
countenance, I encountered a few hours back, and whom I would
have made mince most of if he lead not been coward enough to fly.
Probably you may be the name; you look fit for that, or anything
else."
"Cut him down!" "Dash his brains out!" "Run him through!" "Shoot
him!" were a few of the mild and pleasant insinuations that went
off on every side of him, like a fierce volley of pop-guns; and a
score of bright blades flashed blue and threatening on every
side; while the prince broke out into another shriek of laughter,
that rang high over all.
Sir Norman drew his own sword, and stood on the defence, breathed
one thought to Leoline, gave himself up for lost; but before
quite doing so - to use a phrase not altogether as original as it
might be - "determined