Mr.Carleton said grace, and as they sat down the door behind from the kitchen opened, and the servants came through with the pewter dishes.
Ralph was very silent at first; his mother sat by him almost as silent as himself; the servants sprang about noiseless and eager to wait on him; and Sir James and the chaplain did most of the conversation, pleasant harmless talk about the estate and the tenants; but as supper went on, and the weariness of the hot journey faded, and the talk from the lower tables grew louder, Ralph began to talk a little more freely.
"Yes," he said, "the crowning went well enough.

The people were quiet enough.

She looked very pretty in her robes; she was in purple velvet, and her gentlemen in scarlet.

We shall have news of her soon." Sir James looked up sharply at his son.

They were all listening intently; and even a servant behind Ralph's chair paused with a silver jug.
"Yes," said Ralph again with a tranquil air, setting down his Venetian glass; "God has blessed the union already." "And the King ?" asked his father, from his black velvet chair in the centre.
There fell a deeper silence yet as that name was mentioned.