I let them stand for a while. I am in no hurry, nor indeed have I any desire to make them feel particularly comfortable. It is late in the day and I have no stomach for affairs of state at this hour. Gardiner is tall and stately with dark brown hair and beard but not particularly pleasing to the eye in appearance. Francis Englefield, I have always liked and found a wise and considerate adviser. He has soft blue eyes and light brown hair. He too is tall, smart in general demeanour and appearance and I would never allow either of them to be upstanding when I myself am standing; my diminutive stature gives me an unpleasant disadvantage. Renard, the Spanish ambassador, is not tall but rotund with very dark hair and beard and, I think, a somewhat sour expression.
“Please be seated, gentlemen,”
