Angele had come to know, as others in like case have ever done, how wretched indeed is that poor man that hangs on princes' favours.

She had saved the Queen's life upon May Day, and on the evening of that day the Queen had sent for her, had made such high and tender acknowledgment of her debt as would seem to justify for her perpetual honour.

And what Elizabeth said she meant; but in a life set in forests of complications and opposing interests the political overlapped the personal in her nature.

Thus it was that she had kept the princes of the world dangling, advancing towards marriage with them, retreating suddenly, setting off one house against the other, allying herself to one European power to-day, with another to-morrow, her own person and her crown the pawn with which she played.

It was not a beautiful thing in a woman, but it was what a woman could do; and, denied other powers given to men--as to her father--she resorted to astute but doubtful devices to advance her diplomacy.