The Duke gave him another smile of bitter
scorn, and returned to his seat, in obedience to the commands of the
king, who continued calling out, "Sit down, Steenie, sit down, I
command ye--we will hae nae harnsbreaking here."
"Your Majesty needs not fear my patience," said Lord Dalgarno; "and
that I may keep it the better, I will not utter another word in this
presence, save those enjoined to me in that happy portion of the
Prayer-Book, which begins with _Dearly Beloved_, and ends with
_amazement_."
"You are a hardened villain, Dalgarno," said the king; "and were I the
lass, by my father's saul, I would rather brook the stain of having
been your concubine, than run the risk of becoming your wife. But she
shall be under our special protection.--Come, my lords, we will
ourselves see this blithesome bridal." He gave the signal by rising,
and moved towards the door, followed by the train. Lord Dalgarno
attended, speaking to none, and spoken to by no one, yet seeming as
easy and unembarrassed in his gait and manner as if in reality a happy
bridegroom.
They reached the Chapel by a private entrance, which communicated from
the royal apartment. The Bishop of Winchester, in his pontifical
dress, stood beside the altar; on the other side, supported by Monna
Paula, the colourless, faded, half-lifeless form of the Lady Hermione,
or Erminia Pauletti. Lord Dalgarno bowed profoundly to her, and the
Prince, observing the horror with which she regarded him, walked up,
and said to her, with much dignity,--"Madam, ere you put yourself
under the authority of this man, let me inform you, he hath in the
fullest degree vindicated your honour, so far as concerns your former
intercourse.
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