In a triumph of loyal enthusiasm, the King and Queen-elect rode back to the palace, and there were married in the chapel. The ceremony was necessarily a quiet one. It was attended only by the great officers of state and the personal adherents of the bride and bridegroom. Pertinax was there in his new capacity of Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber, and Penelophon radiant and happy to think she was chief Bower-lady to the Queen.
After the ceremony, when Pertinax attended the King to his privy chamber, he announced that he had a report to make. He had taken the liberty, he said, while the King was at the House, of leading his own troop of gendarmes into the precincts of St. Lazarus, to complete the work for which he had been originally summoned.
"I discovered the Beggar Emperor," he said, "on his throne in the Guildhall, and hanged him in front of it. I trust your majesty will forgive me. He behaved disgracefully to my wife."
Kophetua winced; he felt he had deserved hanging on the same charge, but consoled himself to think how devoted a substitute Penelophon had found, and smilingly commended his favourite's zeal.
Captain Pertinax had not reported the whole of his proceedings; for when Penelophon entered her mistress's boudoir, to which Héloise had been conducted in state, the Queen noticed she wore a strange ornament of gold upon her head, and asked her what it was.
"It is the Beggar Emperor's crown," she said, looking down and blushing.
"But where did you get it from?" asked the Queen.
"My Pertinax took it and gave it me," answered Penelophon; and then with a shy smile went on, "He said if Trecenito's wife were a Queen, his bride was worthy to be an Empress. So he crowned me with the Emperor's crown; and--and he crowned me with kisses too."
"Then you love him," cried the Queen, looking up fondly at her handmaid.
"He is very kind," said Penelophon; "but while you are here for me to love I think I can never love another."
Then Héloise felt a guilty pang like the King, and resolved to deserve the measureless love of the two hearts she had won.
Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to Her Majesty, _at the Edinburgh University Press_.
THE FALL OF ASGARD, A Story of St. Olaf's Day.