Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/97

 1569.] ENGLISH PARTIES. 83 The Duke had not gone as he had threatened, but he hung about the Queen like a ghost, still silent, and irritating her as much as she frightened him. His spies were round her in her closet and her privy cham- ber not a word dropped from her which he did no/ hear. Alarming movements, almost amounting to in- surrections, were reported from the Duke's districts in Norfolk and Suffolk: and at times in her impatience she told Cecil she would send for the Spanish ambas- sador, make up her quarrels with Philip, and end her troubles so. Had she done this, Philip was ready at any moment to accept her friendship, order the Catholics into quiet, and leave the Queen of Scots to her fate. On the 6th of September Don Gruerau wrote again: ' The Bishop of Ross has been a second time with me bringing a letter from his mistress, in which she ex- presses her desire to be of use to his Majesty and to the Catholic religion. One day it 'seems as if the Queen of England would allow the marriage ; the next she will not hear of it. Leicester is said to take the Duke's part, the Duke giving him hopes that after the expected changes he will be allowed to keep his present position, and even to marry the Queen. Last Saturday the Queen of England was in such alarm that she told Leicester emphatically that the marriage between the Duke and the Queen of Scots should not be. She said that if she consented she would be in the Tower before four months were over. Norfolk has been forbidden to leave the Court, and she means to speak to him. But however it