My power continued undiminished; for they knew either the dwarf or I must be supreme; and though the queen was bad, the prince was worse.

The said prince would willingly have pulled me down from my eminence, and have mounted it himself; but that he was probably restrained by a feeling that law-makers should not be law-breakers, and that, if he set the example, there would be no end to the insubordination and rebellion that would follow." "Were you living here or in London then ?" inquired Sir Norman, taking an advantage of a pause, employed by Miranda in shaking off the crawling beetles.
"Oh, in London! We did not come here until the outbreak of the plague--that frightened them, especially the female portion, and they held a scared meeting, and resolved that we should take up our quarters somewhere else.

This place being old and ruined, and deserted and with all sorts of evil rumors hanging about it, was hit upon; and secretly, by night, these mouldering old vaults were fitted up, and the goods and chattels of the royal court removed.

And here I, too, was brought by night under the dwarf's own eye; for he well knew I would have risked a thousand plagues to escape from him.

And here I have been ever since, and here the weekly revels are still held, and may for years to come, unless something is done to-night to prevent it.
"The night before these weekly anniversaries they all gather; but during the rest of the time I am alone with Margery and the dwarf, and have learned more secrets about this place than they dream of.