第92章

"They are for you - sent by Mistress Stuart, herself.Please sit down, and all will be ready in a trice."And in a trice all was ready.The shining, jetty curls were smoothed, and fell in a glossy shower, trained with jewels - the pearls Leoline herself still wore.The rose satin was discarded for another of bridal white, perfect of fit, and splendid of feature.A great gossamer veil like a cloud of silver mist over all, from head to foot; and Leoline was shown herself in a mirror, and in the sudden transformation, could have exclaimed, with the unfortunate lady in bother Goose, shorn of her tresses when in balmy slumber: "As sure as I'm a little woman, this is none of it!" But she it was, nevertheless, who stood listening like one in a trance, to the enthusiastic praises of her waiting-maid.

Again there was a tap at the door.This time the attendant opened it, and George reappeared.Even he stood for a moment looking at the silver-shining vision, and so lost in admiration, that he almost forgot his message.But when Leoline turned the light of her beautiful eyes inquiringly upon him, he managed to remember it, and announced that he had been sent by the king to usher her to the royal presence.

With a feet-throbbing heart, flushed cheeks, and brilliant eyes, the dazzling bride followed him, unconscious that she had never looked so incomparably before in her life.It was but a few hours since she had dressed for another bridal; and what wonderful things had occurred since then - her whole destiny had changed in a night.Not quite sure yet but that she was still dreaming, she followed on - saw George throw open the great doors of the audience-chamber, and found herself suddenly in what seemed to her a vast concourse of people.At the upper end of the apartment was s brilliant group of ladies, with the king's beautiful favorite in their midst, gossiping with knots of gentlemen.The king himself stood in the recess of a window, with his brother, the Duke of York, the Earl of Rochester, and Sir Norman Kingsley, and was laughing and relating animatedly to the two peers the whole story.Leoline noticed this, and noticed, too, that all wore traveling dresses - most of the ladies, indeed, being attired in riding-habits.

The king himself advanced to her rescue, and drawing her arm within his, he led her up and presented her to the fair Mistress Stuart, who received her with smiling graciousness though Leoline, all unused to court ways, and aware of the lovely lady's questionable position, returned it almost with cold hauteur.

Charles being in an unusually gracious mood, only smiled as he noticed it, and introduced her next to his brother of York, and her former short acquaintance, Rochester.