"Thou hast--thou hast my blessing, my suffering dove," said the simple King to the proudest and most impatient princess that ever wept for a lost crown.--"And for thy pardon, how canst thou ask it, who never didst me an offence since God made me father to so gracious a child?--Rise, I say rise--nay, it is for me to ask thy pardon--True, I said in my ignorance, and thought within myself, that my heart had indited a goodly thing--but it vexed thee. It is therefore for me to crave pardon."--And down sank good King René upon both knees; and the people, who are usually captivated with anything resembling the trick of the scene, applauded with much noise, and some smothered laughter, a situation in which the royal daughter and her parent seemed about to rehearse the scene of the Roman Charity. Margaret, sensitively alive to shame, and fully aware that her present position was sufficiently ludicrous in its publicity at least, signed sharply to Arthur, whom she saw in the King's suite, to come to her; and, using his arm to rise, she muttered to him aside, and in English,--"To what saint shall I vow myself, that I may preserve patience when I so much need it!" "For pity's sake, royal madam, recall your firmness of mind and composure," whispered her esquire, who felt at the moment more embarrassed than honoured by his distinguished office, for he could feel that the Queen actually trembled with vexation and impatience. They at length resumed their route to the palace, the father and daughter arm in arm--a posture most agreeable to Margaret, who could bring herself to endure her father's effusions of tenderness, and the general tone of his conversation, so that he was not overheard by others. In the same manner, she bore with laudable patience the teasing attentions which he addressed to her at table, noticed some of his particular courtiers, inquired after others, led the way to his favourite subjects of conversation on poetry, painting, and music, till the good King was as much delighted with the unwonted civilities of his daughter as ever was lover with the favourable confessions of his mistress, when, after years of warm courtship, the ice of her bosom is at length thawed. It cost the haughty Margaret an effort to bend herself to play this part--her pride rebuked her for stooping to flatter her father's foibles, in order to bring him over to the resignation of his dominions--yet having undertaken to do so, and so much having been already hazarded upon this sole remaining chance of success in an attack upon England, she saw, or was willing to see, no alternative. Betwixt the banquet and the ball by which it was to be followed, the Queen sought an opportunity of speaking to Arthur.