the sun, and the blue sky, and just an air of wind—­enough to turn every leaf into a languidly waved fan, enclosed it in loveliness and filled it with life.  It was like a picture from a Camera OBSCURA dropped right at the foot of the keep, for the surrounding walk, moat, and sunk walk beyond, were, seen from that height, but enough to keep the bowling-green, which came to the edge of the sunk walk, twelve feet below it, from appearing to cling to the foundations of the tower.  The circle of arches filled with shell-work and statues of Roman emperors, which formed the face of the escarpment of the sunk walk, looked like a curiously-cut fringe to the carpet.

While Dorothy aloft was thus looking down and watching the game,—­

‘What a lovely prospect it is!’ said his majesty below, addressing Mr. Prichard, while the marquis bowled.

Making answer, Mr. Prichard pointed out where his own house lay, half hidden by a grove, and said—­’May it please your majesty, I have advised my lord to cut down those trees, so that when he wants a good player at bowls, he may have but to beckon.’

‘Nay,’ returned the king, ’he should plant more trees, that so he might not see thy house at all.’

The marquis, who had bowled, and was coming towards them, heard what the king said, and fancying he aimed at the fault of the greedy buying-up of land—­

‘If your majesty hath had enough of the game,’ he said, ’and will climb with me to the top of the tower, I will show you what may do your mind some ease.’

‘I should be sorry to set your Lordship such an arduous task,’ replied the king.  ’But I am very desirous of seeing your great tower, and if you will permit me, I will climb the stair without your attendance.’

’Sir, it will pleasure me to think that the last time ever I ascended those stairs, I conducted your majesty.  For indeed it shall be the last time.  I grow old.’

As the marquis spoke, he led towards the twin-arched bridge over the castle-moat, then through the western gate, and along the side of the court to the Gothic bridge, on their way despatching one of his gentlemen to fetch the keys of the tower.

‘My lord,’ said the king when the messenger had gone, ’there are some men so unreasonable as to make me believe that your lordship hath good store of gold yet left within the tower; but I, knowing how I have exhausted you, could never have believed it, until now I see you will not trust the keys with any but yourself.’

‘Sir,’ answered the marquis, ’I was so far from giving your majesty any such occasion of thought by this tender of my duty, that I protest unto you that I was once resolved that your majesty should have lain there, but that I was loath to commit your majesty to the Tower.’

’You are more considerate, my lord, than some of my subjects would be if they had me as much in their keeping,’ answered the king sadly.  ‘But what are those pipes let into the wall up there?’ he asked, stopping in the middle of the bridge and looking up at the keep.