They will let the king see her but
a moment. She wears a gold brocade dress and a diamond diadem like
the queen; and thereby they hope to deceive Henry. She has the
queen's form precisely; and everybody knows the astonishing
similarity and likeness of Lady Jane's voice to that of the queen.
Oh, oh, it is a tolerably cunning plot! But nevertheless you shall
not succeed, and you shall not yet gain the victory. Patience, only
patience! We likewise will be in the green-room, and face to face
with this royal counterfeit we will place the genuine queen!"
With hurried step John Heywood also left the corridor, which was now
lonely and still, for the queen had gone to rest.
Yes, the queen slept, and yet over yonder in the green-room
everything was prepared for her reception.
It was to be a very brilliant and extraordinary reception; for the
king, in his own person, had betaken himself to that wing of the
castle, and the chief master of ceremonies, Earl Douglas, had
accompanied him.
To the king, this excursion, which he had to make on foot, had been
very troublesome; and this inconvenience had made him only still
more furious and excited, and the last trace of compassion for his
queen had disappeared from the king's breast, for on Catharine's
account he had been obliged to make this long journey to the green-
room; and with a grim joy Henry thought only how terrible was to be
his punishment for Henry Howard and also for Catharine.
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