A lay sister became Grisell's guide, and just then, coming down from
the Duchess's apartments, with a board with a chalk sketch in his
hand, appeared a young man, whom Groot greeted as Master Hans
Memling, and who had been receiving orders, and showing designs to
the Duchess for the ornamentation of the convent, which in later
years he so splendidly carried out. With him Lambert remained.
There was a broad stone stair, leading to a large apartment hung with
stamped Spanish leather, representing the history of King David, and
with a window, glazed as usual below with circles and lozenges, but
the upper part glowing with coloured glass. At the farther end was a
dais with a sort of throne, like the tester and canopy of a four-post
bed, with curtains looped up at each side. Here the Duchess sat,
surrounded by her ladies, all in the sober dress suitable with
monastic life.
Grisell knew her duty too well not to kneel down when admitted. A
dark-complexioned lady came to lead her forward, and directed her to
kneel twice on her way to the Duchess. She obeyed, and in that
indescribable manner which betrayed something of her breeding, so
that after her second obeisance, the manner of the lady altered
visibly from what it had been at first as to a burgher maiden. The
wealth and luxury of the citizen world of the Low Countries caused
the proud and jealous nobility to treat them with the greater
distance of manner.
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