第29章

"Gramercy，fairladies，"saidElizabeth，smiling，"yourboonisgranted，andthegentlesquireLack—CloakshallbecomethegoodknightLack—Cloak，atyourdesire。Letthetwoaspirantsforthehonourofchivalrystepforward。"

BlountwasnotasyetreturnedfromseeingTressilian，asheconceived，safelydisposedof;butRaleighcameforth，andkneelingdown，receivedatthehandoftheVirginQueenthattitleofhonour，whichwasneverconferredonamoredistinguishedormoreillustriousobject。

ShortlyafterwardsNicholasBlountentered，andhastilyapprisedbySussex，whomethimatthedoorofthehall，oftheQueen\'sgraciouspurposeregardinghim，hewasdesiredtoadvancetowardsthethrone。Itisasightsometimesseen，anditisbothludicrousandpitiable;whenanhonestmanofplaincommonsenseissurprised，bythecoquetryofaprettywoman，oranyothercause，intothosefrivolousfopperieswhichonlysitwellupontheyouthful，thegay，andthosetowhomlongpracticehasrenderedthemasecondnature。PoorBlountwasinthissituation。Hisheadwasalreadygiddyfromaconsciousnessofunusualfinery，andthesupposednecessityofsuitinghismannerstothegaietyofhisdress;andnowthissuddenviewofpromotionaltogethercompletedtheconquestofthenewlyinhaledspiritoffopperyoverhisnaturaldisposition，andconvertedaplain，honest，awkwardmanintoacoxcombofanewandmostridiculouskind。

Theknight—expectantadvancedupthehall，thewholelengthofwhichhehadunfortunatelytotraverse，turningouthistoeswithsomuchzealthathepresentedhislegateverystepwithitsbroadsideforemost，sothatitgreatlyresembledanold—fashionedtable—knifewithacurvedpoint，whenseensideways。Therestofhisgaitwasinproportiontothisunhappyamble;andtheimpliedmixtureofbashfulrearandself—satisfactionwassounutterablyridiculousthatLeicester\'sfriendsdidnotsuppressatitter，inwhichmanyofSussex\'spartisanswereunabletoresistjoining，thoughreadytoeattheirnailswithmortification。Sussexhimselflostallpatience，andcouldnotforbearwhisperingintotheearofhisfriend，"Cursethee！canstthounotwalklikeamanandasoldier？"aninterjectionwhichonlymadehonestBlountstartandstop，untilaglanceathisyellowrosesandcrimsonstockingsrestoredhisself—confidence，whenonhewentatthesamepaceasbefore。

TheQueenconferredonpoorBlountthehonourofknighthoodwithamarkedsenseofreluctance。ThatwisePrincesswasfullyawareoftheproprietyofusinggreatcircumspectionandeconomyinbestowingthosetitlesofhonour，whichtheStewarts，whosucceededtoherthrone，distributedwithanimprudentliberalitywhichgreatlydiminishedtheirvalue。BlounthadnosoonerarisenandretiredthansheturnedtotheDuchessofRutland。

"Ourwomanwit，"shesaid，"dearRutland，issharperthanthatofthoseproudthingsindoubletandhose。Seestthou，outofthesethreeknights，thineistheonlytruemetaltostampchivalry\'simprintupon？"

"SirRichardVarney，surely——thefriendofmyLordofLeicester——surelyhehasmerit，"repliedtheDuchess。

"Varneyhasaslycountenanceandasmoothtongue，"repliedtheQueen;"Ifearmehewillproveaknave。Butthepromisewasofancientstanding。MyLordofSussexmusthavelosthisownwits，Ithink，torecommendtousfirstamadmanlikeTressilian，andthenaclownishfoollikethisotherfellow。Iprotest，Rutland，thatwhilehesatonhiskneesbeforeme，moppingandmowingasifhehadscaldingporridgeinhismouth，Ihadmuchadotoforbearcuttinghimoverthepate，insteadofstrikinghisshoulder。"

"YourMajestygavehimasmartACCOLADE，"saidtheDuchess;"wewhostoodbehindheardthebladeclatteronhiscollar—bone，andthepoormanfidgetedtooasifhefeltit。"

"Icouldnothelpit，wench，"saidtheQueen，laughing。"ButwewillhavethissameSirNicholassenttoIrelandorScotland，orsomewhere，toridourcourtofsoanticachevalier;hemaybeagoodsoldierinthefield，thoughapreposterousassinabanqueting—hall。"

Thediscoursebecamethenmoregeneral，andsoonaftertherewasasummonstothebanquet。

Inordertoobeythissignal，thecompanywereunderthenecessityofcrossingtheinnercourtoftheCastle，thattheymightreachthenewbuildingscontainingthelargebanqueting—

room，inwhichpreparationsforsupperweremadeuponascaleofprofusemagnificence，correspondingtotheoccasion。

Theliverycupboardswereloadedwithplateoftherichestdescription，andthemostvaried——somearticlestasteful，someperhapsgrotesque，intheinventionanddecoration，butallgorgeouslymagnificent，bothfromtherichnessoftheworkandvalueofthematerials。Thusthechieftablewasadornedbyasalt，ship—fashion，madeofmother—of—pearl，garnishedwithsilveranddiverswarlikeensignsandotherornaments，anchors，sails，andsixteenpiecesofordnance。ItboreafigureofFortune，placedonaglobe，withaflaginherhand。Anothersaltwasfashionedofsilver，informofaswaninfullsail。

Thatchivalrymightnotbeomittedamidthissplendour，asilverSaintGeorgewaspresented，mountedandequippedintheusualfashioninwhichhebestridesthedragon。Thefiguresweremouldedtobeinsomesortuseful。Thehorse\'stailwasmanagedtoholdacaseofknives，whilethebreastofthedragonpresentedasimilaraccommodationforoysterknives，Inthecourseofthepassagefromthehallofreceptiontothebanqueting—room，andespeciallyinthecourtyard，thenew—madeknightswereassailedbytheheralds，pursuivants，minstrels，etc。，withtheusualcryofLARGESSE，LARGESSE，CHEVALIERSTRES

HARDIS！anancientinvocation，intendedtoawakenthebountyoftheacolytesofchivalrytowardsthosewhosebusinessitwastoregistertheirarmorialbearings，andcelebratethedeedsbywhichtheywereillustrated。Thecallwas，ofcourse，liberallyandcourteouslyansweredbythosetowhomitwasaddressed。

Varneygavehislargessewithanaffectationofcomplaisanceandhumility。Raleighbestowedhiswiththegracefuleasepeculiartoonewhohasattainedhisownplace，andisfamiliarwithitsdignity。HonestBlountgavewhathistailorhadlefthimofhishalf—year\'srent，droppingsomepiecesinhishurry，thenstoopingdowntolookforthem，andthendistributingthemamongstthevariousclaimants，withtheanxiousfaceandmienoftheparishbeadledividingadoleamongpaupers。

ThedonationswereacceptedwiththeusualclamourandVIVATSofapplausecommononsuchoccasions;butasthepartiesgratifiedwerechieflydependantsofLordLeicester，itwasVarneywhosenamewasrepeatedwiththeloudestacclamations。Lambourne，especially，distinguishedhimselfbyhisvociferationsof"LonglifetoSirRichardVarney！——HealthandhonourtoSirRichard！——

Neverwasamoreworthyknightdubbed！"——then，suddenlysinkinghisvoice，headded——"sincethevaliantSirPandarusofTroy，"——awinding—upofhisclamorousapplausewhichsetallmena—laughingwhowerewithinhearingofit。

Itisunnecessarytosayanythingfurtherofthefestivitiesoftheevening，whichweresobrilliantinthemselves，andreceivedwithsuchobviousandwillingsatisfactionbytheQueen，thatLeicesterretiredtohisownapartmentwithallthegiddyrapturesofsuccessfulambition。Varney，whohadchangedhissplendidattire，andnowwaitedonhispatroninaverymodestandplainundress，attendedtodothehonoursoftheEarl\'sCOUCHER。

"How！SirRichard，"saidLeicester，smiling，"yournewrankscarcesuitsthehumilityofthisattendance。"

"Iwoulddisownthatrank，myLord，"saidVarney，"couldIthinkitwastoremovemetoadistancefromyourlordship\'sperson。"

"Thouartagratefulfellow，"saidLeicester;"butImustnotallowyoutodowhatwouldabateyouintheopinionofothers。"

Whilethusspeaking，hestillacceptedwithouthesitationtheofficesabouthisperson，whichthenew—madeknightseemedtorenderaseagerlyasifhehadreallyfelt，indischargingthetask，thatpleasurewhichhiswordsexpressed。

"Iamnotafraidofmen\'smisconstruction，"hesaid，inanswertoLeicester\'sremark，"sincethereisnot——（permitmetoundothecollar）——amanwithintheCastlewhodoesnotexpectverysoontoseepersonsofarankfarsuperiortothatwhich，byyourgoodness，Inowhold，renderingthedutiesofthebedchambertoyou，andaccountingitanhonour。"

"Itmight，indeed，sohavebeen"——saidtheEarl，withaninvoluntarysigh;andthenpresentlyadded，"Mygown，Varney;I

willlookoutonthenight。Isnotthemoonneartothefull？"

"Ithinkso，mylord，accordingtothecalendar，"answeredVarney。

Therewasanabuttingwindow，whichopenedonasmallprojectingbalconyofstone，battlementedasisusualinGothiccastles。

TheEarlundidthelattice，andsteppedoutintotheopenair。

Thestationhehadchosencommandedanextensiveviewofthelakeandwoodlandsbeyond，wherethebrightmoonlightrestedontheclearbluewatersandthedistantmassesofoakandelmtrees。

Themoonrodehighintheheavens，attendedbythousandsandthousandsofinferiorluminaries。Allseemedalreadytobehushedinthenetherworld，exceptingoccasionallythe