"I shan't say it was you, when it was me," said William. "I'm not given to that style of thing, I can tell you." "No, no," began Henry again. "What I mean is, that instead of saying it was _me_--" "Who said it was you? I said it was me." "Yes, and that's where you make a mistake. You should say--" "Look here," said Henry the Eighth, "suppose you settle that outside. The thing is--whoever nobbled him, as William says--hadn't we better give him a cold chop, now we've got him?" "Better try him first," said John. "I make a strong point of that in Magna Charta, you know." "Much easier to take the chop first," said Henry. "I prefer stakes myself," said Queen Mary, joining the party. "Well, well, any way you like," said King Hal; "anything for a quiet life. The ladies are worrying me to give them a day out, and an Old Bailey trial will be a nice variety for them. Only, let's have it done in proper state, if we have it at all. I suppose you'd like me to be judge, eh?" Nobody seemed particularly pleased at this proposal; and Richard said-- "You'd better ask Elizabeth, hadn't you?" "Oh, good gracious, no!" exclaimed Henry in alarm. "Don't say a word about it to her, or there'll be a terrible rumpus. I assure you I have studied law all my life. Come along. Bring him downstairs and let's begin. Here, Teddy," cried he to a nice-looking boy not far off, who must have been Edward the Fifth. "Here, Teddy, run and tell Catherine, and Annie, and Janie, and Annie Cleeves, and Kitty Howard, and Kitty Parr--let's see, is that all?" said he, counting them over on his fingers; "yes, six--tell 'em all to hurry up, and not to let Elizabeth see them, whatever they do. Oh, and you can tell all the lot of Majesties after Johnny here they'd better come, too. Come, look alive, my lad." "All, very well," said Teddy; "how am I to look alive after the way I've been served? Besides, I can never remember all their names." "Well, look them up in the catalogue--they're all down there. Tell them, the big dock downstairs. And if we're lucky and get the job over in time, I don't mind standing treat all round in the refreshment-room afterwards. That will fetch them, I fancy; eh, what?" Sub-Chapter II. THE TRIAL. The room suddenly grew dim and silent again, and I began to think that after all I had been only dreaming. But when I lifted my head and looked round, the place of the kings was empty. There was William the Conqueror's footstool where he had upset it; and there lay the pen and ink on the floor under King John's chair. As for the big group in the middle, not a soul was left there except Chaucer and William Caxton, who had taken possession of the two easiest chairs, and were deep in a game of chess.