"My Lord of Gloucester, you have been tried by a council of your
fellow-peers, presided over by her royal self, and found guilty
of high treason. Your sentence is that you be taken hence,
immediately, to the block, and there be beheaded, in punishment
of your crime."
His highness wound up this somewhat solemn speech, rather
inconsistently, bursting out into one of his shrillest peals of
laughter; and the miserable Earl of Gloucester, with a gasping,
unearthly cry, fell back in the arms of the attendants. Dead and
oppressive silence reigned; and Sir Norman, who half believed all
along the whole thing was a farce, began to feel an uncomfortable
sense of chill creeping over him, and to think that, though
practical jokes were excellent things in their way, there was yet
a possibility of carrying them a little too far. The
disagreeable silence was first broken by the dwarf, who, after
gloating for a moment over his victim's convulsive spasms, sprang
nimbly from his chair of dignity and held out his arm for the
queen. The queen arose, which seemed to be a sign for everybody
else to do the same, and all began forming themselves in a sort
of line of march.
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