HOW THE TREASURE-CHESTS WERE CARRIED TO
TRAITORS’ GATE.

The bride’s sudden indisposition naturally put an end to the breakfast, and ere many minutes all the guests had quitted the Stone Kitchen. On being brought into the open air, Lilias speedily revived, and the bloom which had temporarily deserted them returned to her cheeks. A stroll on the green completely restored her, though she was nearly made ill again by an injudicious remark of Xit, who pointed out to her the spot whereon the scaffold was usually erected.

In order to divert her from the gloomy thoughts which seemed to have been inspired by Mauger, Og took her to the palace and showed her over the royal apartments, with the size and splendour of which she was much astonished. They next visited the garden, with which she was also delighted, and were crossing the outer court towards the Cold Harbour Tower, when they encountered Lovel, the keeper of the Jewel Tower, who, courteously saluting the bride, volunteered to show her the treasures under his custody.

Lilias gratefully accepted the offer, and was taken with her husband and the whole party into the Jewel House, where the many precious articles contained in it were displayed to them. After they had feasted their eyes on this rich collection, Lovel said to the bride,—

378“You shall now see the coffers containing the bullion deposited here by his Majesty. This is the only opportunity you will have of viewing them, for they are to be removed to the Exchequer to-night.”

Upon this he unlocked the door of the strong-room, and showed them fifteen mighty chests piled within it. Each chest was wrapped in a cover emblazoned with the arms of Castile and Aragon. Removing the cover from one of them, Lovel disclosed a handsome coffer made of walnut, strengthened by bands of brass, and secured by two locks.

“Oh! how I should like to see what is inside it!” cried Lilias, after she had examined the exterior of the box.

And she looked so beseechingly at Lovel that he could not refuse to gratify her curiosity.

“It is against my orders to open the chests,” he said. “Nevertheless, I will yield to your wishes.”

And taking a bunch of keys from his girdle, he unlocked the coffer, and raising the lid, revealed the bars of gold to Lilias’s admiring gaze.

“Oh! how beautiful they look!” she cried, clapping her hands. “Cannot you spare one of them?—it would never be missed.”

“Were the gold mine, you should have one, and welcome, fair mistress,” replied Lovel, gallantly. “But this is the King’s treasure, and I am bound to guard it.”

“But suppose it were carried off by force, what would you say then?” pursued Lilias, playfully.

“I cannot entertain any such supposition,” he replied, shutting down the lid, and locking the coffer. “There! now I have removed temptation,” he added, with a smile.

“That chest must be enormously heavy,” observed Lilias to her husband. “Do you think you could lift it, Og?”

“I don’t know,” he replied; “but if Master Lovel will allow me, I will try.”

“Make the attempt, and welcome,” replied Lovel, with a laugh.

Seizing hold of the chest with a herculean grasp, Og threw it over his shoulder.

“There, now you have got possession of it, away with you,” cried Lilias. “Master Lovel will not prevent you.”

379“Hold! hold!” exclaimed the keeper of the treasure. “This is carrying the jest rather too far.”

“Did you really think I was making off with the chest, Master Lovel?” cried Og, setting it down with a great laugh.

“Well, it looked like it, I must own,” returned the other. “But you couldn’t go very far with such a burden as that.”

“Couldn’t I?” rejoined Og. “You don’t know what I could do if I tried. Why, I would carry the chest from the Tower to Whitehall, if the King would only bestow it upon me for my pains.”

And he burst into another tremendous laugh, in which his brothers heartily joined.

“That were a feat worthy of Samson,” observed Lovel, dryly. “Suppose I put your strength to the test.”

“Do so,” rejoined Og. “What would you............