The rooms and corridors of the old house are crowded with things of interest. Sir Philip's helmet is there, and a bit of his shaving-glass. In a small room called the "Pages' Closet," are preserved rare specimens of china--Queen Elizabeth's dessert-set, in green, and Queen Anne's breakfast-set, in blue and white. Betty and Barbara were deeply interested in Mary Stuart's jewel-case, and they laughed over a very curious old painting which shows Queen Elizabeth dancing. The long picture-gallery is lined with portraits--most of them Sidneys--and among them those of the mother of Sir Philip, and of his sister, the Countess of Pembroke, for whom he wrote his "Arcadia." When they again passed through the Ball-room on their way out, they were shown a little square window on one of the walls, which they had not noticed before. "Why! I can see down into the Banquet-hall!" exclaimed Philip, who had climbed up to look through. "Yes," said their guide, "in the olden times, the master at the ball could look through there to see how the servants were behaving, down in the hall below." Out on the lawn again, they lingered for a few minutes while Mrs. Pitt reminded them that there is every reason to believe that under those very trees Spenser wrote his "Shepherd's Calendar." Reluctantly they left the castle and walked back to the carriage, which awaited them in the village. "If all English castles are as beautiful as Penshurst Place," declared Betty earnestly, "I can't go back to America until I have seen every one!" CHAPTER FIVE THE TOWER OF LONDON "I should think they'd call it 'The Towers,' instead of 'The Tower,'" remarked Betty, surveying the curious, irregular jumble of buildings before her, as they left the bus. "That's true," Mrs. Pitt agreed; "but I suppose the name was first given to the White Tower, which is the oldest part and was built by William the Conqueror as long ago as 1080. Why did they call it the White Tower? Well, I believe it was because they whitewashed the walls in the thirteenth century. Why, what's the matter, John?" "I want to see who those fellows in the funny red uniforms are," John called back, as he ran ahead. [Illustration: "I WANT TO SEE WHO THOSE FELLOWS IN THE FUNNY RED UNIFORMS ARE."--_Page 50._] When they reached the entrance, they saw John admiring a group of these "fellows," who stood just inside the gate. In reality, they are old soldiers who have served the King well, and are therefore allowed to be the keepers and guides of the Tower. They bear the strange name of "beefeaters" (a word grown from the French "buffetiers"), and are very picturesque in their gorgeous scarlet uniforms, covered with gilt trimmings and many badges, a style of costume which these custodians have worn ever since the time of Henry VIII, and which was designed by the painter, Holbein.