"Look alive!" he said, peremptorily. "Her Majesty waxes impatient. Where is the woman?" "Ay, ay, sir!" replied the sailors. "Here she be!" They leaned far forward and, grasping the astonished Rebecca each by a shoulder, lifted her quickly over the rail. The first gentleman messenger beckoned to her and started toward the cabin. "Follow me!" he said, curtly. Rebecca straightened her skirt and bonnet, shook her umbrella, and turned quietly to the rail, fumbling with the catch of her bag. "I pity yer manners, young man!" she said, coldly. Then, with some dismay: "Here you, mister, don't ye want yer money?" But the waterman, only too glad to escape at all from being involved in her fate, was pulling back to the northern shore as fast as his boat would go. "Suit yourself," said Rebecca, simply. "Saves me a dime, I guess." Turning then to the impatient gentleman waiting at the door: "Guess you're one o' the family, ain't ye? Is your ma in, young man?" Fortunately her full meaning was not comprehended, and the person addressed contented himself with drawing aside the heavy curtain of cloth of gold and motioning to Rebecca to precede him. She nodded graciously and passed into the cabin. "That's better," she said, with an ingratiating smile. "Good manners never did a mite o' harm, did they?" Before following her, the messenger turned again to the young lieutenant. "Give way!" he said. At once the sweeps fell together, and the great barge resumed its course down the river. As Rebecca entered the glass and gold enclosure, she was at first quite dazzled by the crowd of gorgeously arrayed courtiers who stood in two compact groups on either side of her. Young and old alike, all these men of the sword and cloak seemed vying one with another for precedence in magnificence and foppery. The rarest silks of every hue peeped forth through slashed velvets and satins whose rustling masses bedecked men of every age and figure. Painted faces and ringed ears everywhere topped snowy ruffles deep and wide, while in every hand, scented gloves, fans, or like toys amused the idle fingers. In the background Rebecca was only vaguely conscious of a group of ladies in dresses of comparatively sober pattern and color; but seated upon a luxurious cushioned bench just in front of the others, one of her sex struck Rebecca at once as the very centre and climax of the magnificence that surrounded her. Here sat Elizabeth, the vain, proud, tempestuous daughter of "bluff King Hal." Already an old woman, she yet affected the dress and carriage of young maidenhood, possessing unimpaired the vanity of a youthful beauty, and, despite her growing ugliness, commanding the gallant attentions that gratified and supported that vanity.