They descended the steps to the garden, and from thence they entered the Hall by way of the porch.
"Was it not very wicked in Dorothy to listen to such words from Leicester ?" asked Madge.

"I do not at all understand her." Madge, of course, knew only a part of what had happened, and a very small part at that, for she had not seen Dorothy.

Madge and I returned to the Hall, and we went at once to Dorothy's room, hoping to see her, and intending to tell her our opinion of the shameless manner in which she had acted.
Dorothy was in her room alone when we entered.

She clapped her hands, ran to the door, bolted it, and bounded back toward us.
"I have the greatest news to tell you," she cried laughingly,--"the greatest news and the greatest sport of which you ever heard.

My lord Leicester is in love with me." "Indeed, that is very fine," I responded; but my irony met its usual fate.
She did not see it.
"Yes," continued Dorothy, brimming over with mirth, "you should have heard him pleading with me a few moments since upon the terrace." "We did hear him," said Madge.
"You heard him?
Where?
How ?" Her eyes were wide with wonder.
"We were on the opposite side of the holly bush from you," I answered.