“And which of his domestics, then, in the name of Heaven, presumed to reject my message, without even admitting my own physician to the presence of him whom I sent him to attend?” said the Queen, much surprised.

“The offender, madam, is before you,” replied Walter, bowing very low; “the full and sole blame is mine; and my lord has most justly sent me to abye the consequences of a fault, of which he is as innocent as a sleeping man’s dreams can be of a waking man’s actions.”

“What! was it thou?—­thou thyself, that repelled my messenger and my physician from Sayes Court?” said the Queen.  “What could occasion such boldness in one who seems devoted—­that is, whose exterior bearing shows devotion—­to his Sovereign?”

“Madam,” said the youth—­who, notwithstanding an assumed appearance of severity, thought that he saw something in the Queen’s face that resembled not implacability—­“we say in our country, that the physician is for the time the liege sovereign of his patient.  Now, my noble master was then under dominion of a leech, by whose advice he hath greatly profited, who had issued his commands that his patient should not that night be disturbed, on the very peril of his life.”

“Thy master hath trusted some false varlet of an empiric,” said the Queen.

“I know not, madam, but by the fact that he is now—­this very morning—­awakened much refreshed and strengthened from the only sleep he hath had for many hours.”

The nobles looked at each other, but more with the purpose to see what each thought of this news, than to exchange any remarks on what had happened.  The Queen answered hastily, and without affecting to disguise her satisfaction, “By my word, I am glad he is better.  But thou wert over-bold to deny the access of my Doctor Masters.  Knowest thou not the Holy Writ saith, ’In the multitude of counsel there is safety’?”

“Ay, madam,” said Walter; “but I have heard learned men say that the safety spoken of is for the physicians, not for the patient.”

“By my faith, child, thou hast pushed me home,” said the Queen, laughing; “for my Hebrew learning does not come quite at a call.—­How say you, my Lord of Lincoln?  Hath the lad given a just interpretation of the text?”

“The word safety, most gracious madam,” said the Bishop of Lincoln, “for so hath been translated, it may be somewhat hastily, the Hebrew word, being—­”

“My lord,” said the Queen, interrupting him, “we said we had forgotten our Hebrew.—­But for thee, young man, what is thy name and birth?”

“Raleigh is my name, most gracious Queen, the youngest son of a large but honourable family of Devonshire.”

“Raleigh?” said Elizabeth, after a moment’s recollection.  “Have we not heard of your service in Ireland?”

“I have been so fortunate as to do some service there, madam,” replied Raleigh; “scarce, however, of consequence sufficient to reach your Grace’s ears.”