After her dance was finished she stepped in front of her cousin and delivered herself as follows:--
"I am sound from ear tip to fetlock. There is not a blemish in me."
"No, by my faith, I will swear there is not!" cried the Earl of Leicester.
"I have good wind," continued Dorothy, "two good eyes. By night or by day I can see everything within the range of my vision, and a great deal that is not. I shy, at times, when an uncouth object suddenly comes upon me. I am warranted gentle if properly handled, but otherwise it is unsafe to curry my heels."
Sir George could no longer restrain himself, and again tried to prevent Dorothy from proceeding with her terrible insult to the Stanleys. The queen, however, was determined to see the end of the frolic, and she said:--
Dorothy, nothing loath, continued: "As for my disposition, it might be better. It probably will improve with age, if it doesn't grow worse. I have all the gaits a horse should have. I am four years old, I have never been trained to work double, and I think I never shall be. What think you? Now what have you to offer in exchange? Step out and let me see you move."
She took the poor youth by the hand and led him to the middle of the floor.
"How old are you? Show me your teeth," she said. The heir to Derby smiled uneasily, and drew his hand across his nose.
"Ah, you have a touch of the distemper, I see. Are you subject to it?"
"Sir George, this insult has gone far enough."
"Stand back, my Lord Derby," said the queen. "Do not interfere with this interesting barter."
The earl reluctantly lapsed into silence. He remembered the insult of her Majesty's words all his life.
"Now step off," said Dorothy to Lord James.
The young man stood in helpless confusion. Dorothy took a step backward from him, and after watching Stanley a moment said:--
"What! You can neither trot, pace, nor gallop? I don't believe you can even walk alone." Then she turned toward Sir George. A smile was on her lips, but a look from hell was in her eyes as she said:--
"Father, take a lesson from this day. I gave you fair warning. Bring me no more scurvy cobs for barter nor trade." Then she turned to the Earl of Derby and to her cousin Lord James, made a deep courtesy, and said:--
