“You must cover your face, Sire. Friend Walworth, will you go before us, to see the way is clear?” The lad stood pulling his lower lip with thumb and forefinger, his eyes looking vacantly at Salisbury’s shoes. A hood was found, and put on back to front so that it served as a mask. He said nothing, but let them do with him what they pleased. Simon of Sudbury took him by the hand. Cold and moist, it clasped his with a spasmodic twitching of the fingers. Salisbury glanced meaningly at Knollys. “You shall see us anon, sir. Cavendish knows all that can be known.” When the King had gone to his mother’s chamber to lie hidden in her bed, Knollys took a candle from a sconce, traversed a gallery, and made his way up a newel stair. The door at the top was barred on the inside. He knocked thrice, and the door was opened. Knollys wasted no words. “Come.” Fulk followed him, and they passed down the stairway and back to the King’s chamber. Cavendish was waiting outside the door. He stared at Fulk with the air of a watch-dog half loath to let a stranger into his master’s room. But one clear look at Fulk’s face made him stand back with a growl of astonishment. “S’death!” Knollys smiled grimly. “It was what I said, Cavendish, when I first set eyes on our man. Come in with us, for you are the councillor we need. You have seen the King in the flesh, naked and dressed, day in day out.” They went in and barred the door on the inside. “Now for the play. Out with the clothes, Cavendish. Sit you down, Fulk Ferrers, well in the light here. Have a good look at him, Cavendish. Hum! What about a razor?” Cavendish scanned Fulk’s face, feeling his chin, and looking him in the eyes as though challenging his courage. “A little cropping of the hair and a scrape with a razor. Too much on the upper lip, too, for a lad of fifteen. Let’s hear your voice, brother.” Fulk smiled at him. “Like you, sir, I serve the King.” “Too much trumpet in it! Softly, more softly, and it will do.” “Good Cavendish, to-morrow he has to play the hero, and heroes speak like clarions! We shall put it about the King has dreamed a most marvellous dream and come to his kingliness thereby. Now for the toilet.” Cavendish turned to and served as barber, robeman, and player. He knew all the tricks of the King’s person, how he looked, spoke, wore his clothes, carried his head, and sat in a chair. He prompted Fulk all the time he was busy with him, acting the tricks and mannerisms himself, and making Fulk act them after him. The result delighted Knollys. “Thunder! you have quick wits and a sharp eye. The King’s rings—you must wear the rings.” The business was nearly ended when they heard footsteps without and the sound of voices. Someone knocked, and Knollys went to the door. “Who’s there?” “All’s well, Knollys.” “Tarry one moment.”