QUEEN. Ashley, that was a terrible time—rather say, the end of terror. One can bear to recall its memory. It was a trumpery malice, to send my faithful servants to prison. They dared not any longer molest me, personally, for the shadow of Lord Howard fell, like a blight, upon the Court. Even in his absence, his form stalked ever before the eyes of Philip and his Spaniards. MRS. ASHLEY. God bless the noble Howard, the noblest of his name. He is the hero of England. QUEEN. God bless him, I say again, Ashley. (_Aside_). He has not seen this yet. (_She lays her hand upon the emblematic device_. _Then stepping backward a few paces_, _deeply ponders on it_.) I wonder what he will say. But his mind and bent runs in that groove, like Drake, Hawkins, and Killigrew, the Tremaines, all that fighting band. They have the one dominant idea. “England must rule the sea,” and that they can do it. Look well at that Ashley and tell me what your common sense can make of it. (_The waiting-woman looks at the figures_, _then at the_ QUEEN _scrutinizingly_, _as if to find out her secret_.) MRS. ASHLEY (_with hesitation_). It is a beautiful thing and means something. More than it seems. It is a riddle for Dr. Dee to read. (_Again she looks_, _with half malice at the_ QUEEN, _who is too intent to observe her_). Belike it is a love present—belike your Majesty is coming to the point at last. (_The_ QUEEN _starting out of her reverie_, _and looking at her companion sharply_). QUEEN (_impatiently_). What point, Ashley? Dost thou understand it? Can’st thou read the future of thy country? MRS. ASHLEY (_peering inquisitively at the_ QUEEN). Belike your Majesty will now marry the beautiful Earl? _The_ QUEEN _starts as if electrified_—_her eye flashing_—_every feature twitching with disappointment and rage at the unlooked for answer_—_clenching her hands_, _and stamping with her feet_, _she exclaims_. QUEEN. Blood of my kingly father! What damned wench in the corrupt court. Hirelings and traitors, in his pay, or some one’s else, has got up that foul scandal? And thy old head to prompt it at such a time! Surrounded with treason—threatened with invasion—without Counsel on which I can rely—drifting along on a tempestuous sea, with no other pilot than my own isolated wisdom—my tortured mind sought in glowing visions of the future for comfort, and repose! (_she walks about excited_, _then comes in front of her companion_, _who trembles for the consequence_). Dost thou thus misthink me, woman?—that I will act so unlike myself—so far below majesty—I, that have refused the greatest of princes—as to lower my dignity (_then raising herself do a loftier tone_) and the crown which my heroic people put on my head because they deemed me worthy to wear it, and to defend their glory and their rights, as to share it with a thing like Leicester? And that thou—thou above all—who hast known me.