"Hath the little Puritan helped to get them married right?" asked the
queen, with the soft trill of a foreign tongue.
"Your Majesty," said I, "the little Puritan holds back."
"It is as you thought," said Queen Catherine, looking over her shoulder
to Hortense.
"Would another bridesmaid do?" asked the queen.
Laughing looks passed among the ladies.
"If the bridesmaid were Mistress Hillary, Your Majesty," I began.
"Hortense hath been to see them."
I might have guessed. It was like Hortense to seek the lonely pair.
"Here is the king. We must ask his advice," said the queen.
At the king's entrance all fell back and I managed to whisper to
Hortense what we had learned the night before.
"Here are news," smiled His Majesty. "Your maid of the north is
Osmond's daughter! The lands young Lieutenant Blood wants are hers!"
At that were more looks among the ladies.
"And faith, the lieutenant asks for her as well as the lands," said the
king.
Hortense had turned very white and moved a little forward.
"We may not disturb our loyal subject's possession. What does Osmond's
daughter say?" questioned the king.
Then Hortense took her fate in her hands.
"Your Majesty," she said, "if Osmond's daughter did not want the lands,
it would not be necessary to disturb the lieutenant.
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