The ladies now gathered round Richard, and one of them, the lady Tansi, who had taken a great liking to Isabella, and who was the liveliest and most facetious lady of the court, said to him, “What is all this, sir?  Why these arms?  Did you, perchance, imagine that you were coming here to fight your enemies?  Believe me, you have none but friends here, unless it be the lady Isabella, who, as a Spaniard, is bound to bear you no good will.”

“Let her only vouchsafe, Lady Tansi, to have me a little in her thoughts, and I am sure she will not think of me with ill will; for ingratitude can have no place in the heart of one so good, so wise, and so exquisitely fair.”

“Since I am to be yours, senor Richard,” said Isabella, “claim from me what you will in recompense for the praises you bestow upon me.”

Whilst Isabella and the other ladies were thus conversing with Richard, there was a little girl present who did nothing but gaze at him, lift up his cuishes to see what was beneath them, touch his sword, and, with childlike simplicity, peep at her own image reflected in his bright armour.  When Richard was gone away, she said, turning to the ladies, “Now I see what a fine thing war must be, since armed men look to such advantage even among ladies.”  “Look to advantage!” exclaimed Lady Tansi; “one might take Richard for the sun, come down from Heaven, to walk the streets in that garb.”  Every one laughed at the little girl’s remark, and at Lady Tansi’s hyperbole; and there lacked not back-biters, who thought his appearing in arms at the palace was an act of great impropriety; but others excused him, saying that it was a very natural and pardonable act of vanity on the part of a gallant young soldier.

Richard was most cordially welcomed by his parents, relations, and friends, and that night there were general rejoicings in London.  On his return home, he found Isabella’s parents already there, and told his father and mother who they were, but begged they would give no hint of the matter to Isabella till he should make it known to her himself.  His desire was punctually observed.  That night they began with a great number of boats and barges, and in presence of a multitude of admiring spectators, to unload the great galleon, but eight days were consumed in the work before they had disembowelled it of its aromatic and precious freight.  On the following day, Richard went again to the palace, taking with him Isabella’s father and mother, dressed in the English style, telling them that the queen wished to see them.  They found the queen surrounded by her ladies, with Isabella by her side, wearing, by the queen’s desire, for Richard’s special gratification, the same dress in which she had made her first appearance at court.  Isabella’s parents were filled with admiration and astonishment at such a display of grandeur and gaiety combined.  They looked at Isabella, but did not recognise her, though their hearts, prophetic of the happiness so near at hand, began to throb, not anxiously, but with an emotion of joy for which they could not account.