“Stephen,” I replied; and down came the sword, missing the shoulder and striking the cushion. The ceremony, however, was complete without that, for her Majesty immediately said, “Arise, Sir Stephen,” and held out her hand to kiss. I did kiss it, and felt in doing so that she had not many in her wide realm who would serve her more devotedly than I if necessity required it. The cushions were removed; the Queen graciously smiled to all around and left the room, and we retired together through the long corridor before mentioned. I was standing near the entrance to the Castle door whilst the Earl of Clarendon was lighting a cigar, when the Duke of Newcastle rejoined us, and said, “Allow me to congratulate you as Sir Stephen Lakeman, and as to having your head still on. I thought at one time her Majesty was going to cut it off.” “Ah,” said Lord Clarendon, puffing away at his cigarette, which I thought extremely unbecoming in the Castle, “if the Queen had given it a whack it would have done it good.” “Just as it might do your lordship to whack out your cigarette,” I replied. I had, within the last few days, taken a sudden dislike to his lordship, which, however unaccountable at the time, was a true presentiment of our future relations. His Grace of Newcastle took me by the arm and led me away. He at the same time informed me that I was to remain at the Castle: a certain person, whom he pointed out, would attend to my wants, and I might freely answer any questions that would be put to me during the afternoon. When I returned to town that night, I was grateful for the honours that had been bestowed upon me at the request of the Cape colonists. THE END. PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS. CATALOGUE OF MESSRS BLACKWOOD & SONS’ PUBLICATIONS. Now Complete. ANCIENT CLASSICS FOR ENGLISH READERS. EDITED BY THE REV. W. LUCAS COLLINS, M.A. 28 Vols. crown 8vo, cloth, 2s. 6d. each. _And may also be had in 14 Volumes, strongly and neatly bound with calf or vellum back, £3, 10s._ CONTENTS OF THE SERIES. HOMER: THE ILIAD. By the Editor. HOMER: THE ODYSSEY. By the Editor. HERODOTUS. By George C. Swayne, M.A. ÆSCHYLUS. By the Right Rev. the Bishop of Colombo. XENOPHON. By Sir Alexander Grant, Bart., Principal of the University of Edinburgh. SOPHOCLES. By Clifton W. Collins, M.A. EURIPIDES. By W. B. Donne. ARISTOPHANES. By the Editor. HESIOD AND THEOGNIS. By the Rev. J. Davies, M.A. THE COMMENTARIES OF CÆSAR. By Anthony Trollope. VIRGIL. By the Editor. HORACE. By Theodore Martin. CICERO. By the Editor. PLINY’S LETTERS. By the Rev. Alfred Church, M.A., and the Rev. W. J. Brodribb, M.A. JUVENAL. By Edward Walford, M.A. TACITUS. By W. B. Donne. LUCIAN. By the Editor. PLAUTUS AND TERENCE. By the Editor. PLATO. By Clifton W. Collins, M.A. GREEK ANTHOLOGY. By Lord Neaves. LIVY. By the Editor. OVID. By the Rev. A. Church, M.A.