"Even so, my liege," was the dejected reply, "the tribes of the North are known to no man as yet." "Passing strange!" mused the Queen, running a critical eye over the printed page before her. "Your talk, and that of others, hath been only of wild, copper-colored savages, living in rude huts and wearing only skins. Sure such as these have not types and printing-presses! What is this book, Lady Rebecca?" "That's a newspaper, ma'am. Don't you have 'em in London? They come out every day an' people pay a penny apiece fer 'em." Elizabeth flashed a stern glance upon her visitor. "'Twere best not go too far, my lady," she said, harshly. "E'en traveller's tales must in some sort ape the truth at least. Now, prithee, to what end is such a pamphlet printed--why, 'tis endless!" "I'll shet right up, Mis' Tudor, ef ye think I'm tellin' wrong stories," said Rebecca, indignantly. "Thet's a newspaper an' thet's all there is to it." Elizabeth evaded the issue and turned now to the illustrations. "These be quaint-wondrous images!" she said. "Pray, what now may this be? Some fantastic reverie limned for amusement?" Rebecca jumped up again and peered over the Queen's shoulder. "Why, thet's a picture of the troops marchin' down Broadway, in New York City. See, it's all explained in print underneath it." "But these men carry arquebuses and wear a livery. And these temples--to what false gods are they set up?" "False gods!" exclaimed Rebecca. "Bless your simple heart, those ain't temples. They're jest the buildin's where the men hev their offices." Elizabeth sat in mute contemplation, vainly seeking to realize it all. "My lords!" she burst forth suddenly, casting the paper violently to the floor, "or this be rank forgery and fraud or else have we been strangely deceived." She frowned at Sir Walter, who dropped his eyes. "'Tis not to be believed that such vast cities and great armies habited by peoples polite and learned may be found across the sea and no report of it come to them that visit there. How comes it that we must await so strange a chance as this to learn such weighty news?" She paused and only silence ensued. Rebecca stooped and recovered the paper, which in falling had opened so as to expose new matter. "Don't be surprised," she said, soothingly. "I allus did hear that Britishers knew mighty little 'bout America." Still frowning, Elizabeth mechanically stretched forth her hand and Rebecca gave her the paper. The Queen glanced at the sheet and her face lost its stern aspect as she eagerly brought the print nearer to her eyes. "Why, what now!" she exclaimed. "God mend us, here have we strange attire! Is this a woman of your tribe, my lady?" Rebecca looked and blushed. Then, in an uneasy tone, she said: "That's jest an advertisement fer a new corset, Mis' Tudor. I never did see how folks ever allowed sech things to be printed--'tain't respectable!" "A corset, call you it! And these, then?"