‘Alas! alas!’ cried lady Glamorgan, and fell back in her chair, faint with apprehension, for what might not be the message he bore?  Ere Dorothy had succeeded in calming her, the marquis himself came hobbling in, with the news that the king was coming.

‘Is that all?’ said the countess, heaving a deep sigh, while the tears ran down her cheeks.

‘Is that all?’ repeated her father-in-law.  ’How, my lady!  Is there then nobody in all the world but Glamorgan?  Verily I believe thou wouldst turn thy back on the angel Gabriel, if he dared appear before thee without thy Ned under his arm.  Bless the Irish heart!  I never gave thee my Ned that thou shouldst fall down and worship the fellow.’

‘Bear with me, sir,’ she answered faintly.  ’It is but the pain here.  Thou knowest I cannot tell but he lieth at the bottom of the Irish Sea.’

’If he do lie there, then lieth he in Abraham’s bosom, daughter, where I trust there is room for thee and me also.  Thou rememberest how thy Molly said once to thee, ’Madam, thy bosom is not so big as my lord Abraham’s.  What a big bosom my lord Abraham must have!’

Lady Glamorgan laughed.

’Come then—­“to our work alive!” which is now to receive his majesty,’ said the marquis.  ‘My wild Irishwoman—­’

‘Alas, my lord! tame enough now,’ sighed the countess.

’Not too tame to understand that she must represent her husband before the king’s majesty,’ said lord Worcester.

Lady Glamorgan rose, kissed her father-in-law, wiped her eyes, and said—­

‘Where, my lord, do you purpose lodging his majesty?’

’In the great north room, over the buttery, and next the picture-gallery, which will serve his majesty to walk in, and the windows there have the finest prospect of all.  I did think of the great tower, but—­Well—­the chamber there is indeed statelier, but it is gloomy as a dull twilight, while the one I intend him to lie in is bright as a summer morning.  The tower chamber makes me think of all the lords and ladies that have died therein; the north room, of all the babies that have been born there.’

‘Spoken like a man!’ murmured lady Glamorgan.  ’Have you given directions, my lord?’

’I have sent for sir Ralph.  Come with me, Margaret:  you and Mary must keep your old father from blundering.  Run, Dorothy, and tell Mr. Delaware and Mr. Andrews that I desire their presence in my closet.  I miss the rogue Scudamore.  They tell me he hath done well, and is sorely wounded.  He must feel the better for the one already, and I hope he will soon be nothing the worse for the other.’

As he thus talked, they left the room and took their way to the study, where they found the steward waiting them.

The whole castle was presently alive with preparations for the king’s visit.  That he had been so sorely foiled of late, only roused in all the greater desire to receive him with every possible honour.  Hope revived in lady Glamorgan’s bosom:  she would take the coming of the king as a good omen for the return of her husband.