Count

Thy Herbert am I no more, neither plume I myself any more in the spare feathers of my father.

Thou art, my dove, as thou deservest to be, Countess of Glamorgan, in the right of thine own husband, first Earl of the same.

For such being the will of his majesty, I doubt not thou wilt give thy consent thereto, and play the Countess graciously.

Come, Dorothy, art not proud to be cousin to an Earl? I am proud that you should call me cousin, my lord, answered Dorothy.

But truly, to me it is all one whether you be called Herbert or Glamorgan.

"How so, my dove? Do they not cost me thee, Herbert, and cost me very dear? Art not ever from my sight? Wish I not often as I lay awake in the dark that we were all in heaven and well over with the foolery of it? The angels keep Molly in mind of us." "Yes, my Peggy, it is hard on thee, and hard on me too," said the Earl tenderly, "yet not so hard as upon our liege lord, the king, who selleth his plate and jewels." "Who, what of that then, Herbert? An he would leave me thee, he might have all mine, and welcome.

For thou knowest, Ned, I but hold them for thee to sell when thou wilt." "I know, and the time may come, though, thank God, it is not yet.

What wouldst thou say, Countess, if with all thy honors thou did yet come to poverty? Canst be poor and merry, thinkst thou?" "So thou wert with me, Herbert.

The Constable of Castile so plied his master's business in which he spared for no cost, that he procured a peace so advantageous for Spain, and so disadvantageous for England, that it and all Christendom have since both seen and felt the lamentable effects thereof.

There was not one courtier of note that tasted not of Spain's bounty, either in gold or jewels, and among them not any in so large a proportion as the Countess of Suffolk, who shared in her lord's interest, being then a potent man, and in that interest which she had in being mistress to that little great secretary, little in body and stature, but great in wit and policy, the sole manager of state affairs.

So it may be said she was a double sharer, and in truth, Audley End, that famous and great structure, had its foundation of Spanish gold.

End of section 2.

Lord, how the great men flocked then to see him, and to offer to his shrine in such abundance that the king was forced to lay a restraint, lest it might retard his recovery by spending his spirit.

And to facilitate the cure, care was taken for a choice diet for himself, and surgeons with his attendants, and no sooner recovered but a proclaimed favourite.

Then the English lords, who formerly coveted an English favourite, and to that end the Countess of Suffolk did look out choice young men whom she daily curled and perfuming their breaths, left all hope, and she her curling and perfuming, all adoring this rising sun, every man striving to invest himself into this man's favour, not sparing for bounty nor flattery.

It was not hard to be obtained, being naturally more addicted to the English than to the Scotch, insomuch that he endeavoured to forget his native country and his father's house, having none of note about him but English, and but one besides English in any familiarity with him, which was Sir Robert Carr his kinsman.

And so obviously, her father was relieved.

And now the chapter is called the Signora Neroni, the Countess de Courcy, and Mrs. Proudie meet each other face to face at Ullathorne.

And now there were new arrivals.

Just as Eleanor reached the drawing room, the Signora was being wheeled into it.

Thorne with a gallant bow, but of a somewhat less cordial welcome than that conceded by his sister.

Mr. Thorne had heard perhaps more of the antecedents of his guest than his sister had done and has not, had not as yet undergone the power of the Signora's charms.

But while the mother of the last of the Neros was thus in her full splendor with crowds of people gazing at her and the elite of the company standing round her couch, her glory was paled by the arrival of the Countess De Courcy.

Miss Thorne had now been waiting three hours for the Countess and could not therefore but show very evident gratification when the arrival at last took place.