thoughtfully, "you are Agnes Beaumont to-day, but you may be a great lady in disguise. Courtiers will crowd round my brother's throne; those who have been against him will be for him, now he is king, and you, the queen's favourite, my favourite, may find both kith and kin in your prosperity." "I shall not care for those who forsook me when I was cast alone on the world." And Agnes tossed her beautiful head proudly. "I shall not care for those who forsook me when I was cast alone on the world." And Agnes tossed her beautiful head proudly. "Why trouble?" said Henrietta. "Let us take life as it comes; we are so young. We are going to have a good time--a right good time!" And she wiped the tears from the child's face, kissed and hugged her. "Why trouble?" said Henrietta. "Let us take life as it comes; we are so young. We are going to have a good time--a right good time!" And she wiped the tears from the child's face, kissed and hugged her. At that moment the door opened and the queen came in. Her face, too, was radiant, and she brought with her a ray of sunshine, as if Nature itself shone upon her. She sat down beside the two girls and laid a hand on each of them. At that moment the door opened and the queen came in. Her face, too, was radiant, and she brought with her a ray of sunshine, as if Nature itself shone upon her. She sat down beside the two girls and laid a hand on each of them. "We shall soon be going to England," she said. "We shall soon be going to England," she said. "Oh, Mother, tell us about England," said Henrietta. "We know nothing about it." "Oh, Mother, tell us about England," said Henrietta. "We know nothing about it." The queen's eyes filled with tears. "For ten years," she said, "I was the happiest and best-beloved woman in England. There was no man like your father, Henrietta: the greatest lover and the best husband. He gave me for my dower-house a palace on the Thames, upon which the sun always shone, from west and east, north and south, beneath whose windows the whole world passed, barges with pennons flying and with music playing all the live-long day, and oft far into the night. Ah, it was a glorious time! Who would have thought of the misery to come!" She put her
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